THE NEXT GENERATION X5
by 494dwangel
Summary: 17 yrs since the flag raising in TC, TC is no more...16 yrs since Max gave in to her instincts accepting Alec as her love/mate...the nxt generation tell their story...*Featuring; SPN characters for special appearance* ...R
1. Chapter 1

**A/N; First DA story ever, reviews will be appreciated because i need to know if you guys want me to continue or not...if you do review i promise i will keep writing this story because i have an idea how i want this to pan out...**

**Disclaimer; I don't own any characters that are recognizable, others I do.**

**(includes special appearances from the characters of SPN)**

**Summary; Story starts with M/A relationship as mates established with them having a son, Cade and twin girls, Mila and Lima.**

Chapter 1 –

'What the hell? Maxie!' Alec grabbed the pillow that was next to his own and hid his face under it.

'Alec, get up now or else I'll kick your ass.' Max responded in an exasperated tone.

'Always with the ass.' Alec muttered. He looked over at her where she stood at the foot of their bed, looking at him as if she was ready to chop his bits. 'Seriously, after 16 yrs of having my pretty ass you're still obsessed with it.' He winked at her and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, trying to piss her off further and doing a good job of it. If looks could kill, he would have been dead then. 'Fine, I'm up.' Alec made a show of annoyance as he got out of bed.

'I'm going to wake the girls up. Cade's already left for school. He needed to meet up with Dale. He said he needed to talk to him about some surfboards or something like that.' Max said as she checked out her mate's fine ass as he walked around butt-naked gathering his things before heading into their en-suite bathroom. It had been a must-have for the both of them when they had started building their home.

Max left the master bedroom with a grin on her face. Who would've thought she would end up with Alec, the smart-ass and have three kids with him? But it had happened. She had finally seen what she had been so blind to see at first and realised that her instincts only wanted one guy as mate and that was Alec. Now, she couldn't imagine life without her family. She was content and at peace. Though, this hadn't always been the case. They had had to work hard for their freedom and recognition as a nation. It hadn't come easy.

Every time she remembered the day her nation had been given their own country, she got the renewed feeling of gratefulness and happiness. She truly felt lucky that she had had Alec as her Second in Command because without his efforts, they would have never had this country to themselves. All the transgenics who had wanted to live with their own kind, now lived in Deania. The country was named after Alec's genetic donor, who Alec loved like a brother, Dean Winchester.

Deania was a transgenic nation on the south of Australia with a population of 846 trangenics of all types. Max was still the Commanding Officer and Alec was her SIC, which made Alec the butt of a lot of jokes but everyone knew Max was one hell of a bitch if she was mad at someone so the leaders both balanced each other out perfectly in global meetings and debates. It was this reason that they had good relations with the UN and other major human rights organizations. This support had won them the small piece of wild Australia which no one else had inhabited but was now their paradise.

The transgenics, being technologically advanced and intelligent had made the place a thriving country in a small amount of time. They were self-sufficient in every way imaginable so hardly ever needed to trade with ordinaries for anything which meant less interference. They had an ocean, beaches, wildlife, fauna, flora and now beautiful flat-like buildings for living space, overlooking which ever of the type of scenery they wanted to live around. As far as they were all concerned, they needed nothing else except to save enough money for the usual betting on their leaders' latest arguments that were as common as Mole smoking his cigars which was always.

Max and Alec had decided to locate their command centre by the ocean and their home was near the ocean and the command centre too. They had a whole building to themselves for their home as Alec had helped build it. It was a labour of love. The three bottom floors consisted of a floor for their kids' entertainment, a floor which was their personal office/communication centre, and a floor which was the gym and swimming pool area. The final floor which was the uppermost was the penthouse where they had five bedrooms and two bathrooms, one was the en-suite with their master bedroom and the other was in the hall. Alec had designed the living area as open space with a huge kitchen and dining as a part of the lounge. After the building was finished and Alec had finally let Max see it. She had been blown away by the beauty and as a thanks had agreed to have a little honeymoon period with Alec where they weren't disturbed with their leadership duties.

Max walked through the familiar hall leading to her twin daughters' room. She walked in smiling. Lima was already up, getting ready for school. Lima was just like her, only needing about four hours of sleep. Mila, on the other hand, could sleep through the day if no one disturbed her. Just like her Dad, Max thought.

'Mila, wakey wakey. Time for school.' Max sniggered when her other daughter mumbled something incoherent, still half-asleep. Max heard Lima huffing and turned to see Lima marching towards her sister.

'Mila, if you make me late for school again I am gonna kick your ass. Seriously, I mean it. Get up now.' Lima shoved Mila.

'God, I hate you. Bitch.' Mila sat up in bed and wiped sleep out of her eyes.

'Hey, watch your language. This is unbelievable. My 8 yr old daughters are already corrupted.' Max said and then stuck her head out of the door as she heard Alec coming out of their bedroom. 'Alec, this is all you fault.' She yelled at him.

Alec gave her an incredulous look and walked over to her. 'What? What did I do now?' He asked.

He had barely entered the room when two excited and very much giggling little girls launched themselves at him. 'Daddy…' They chorused.

He looked at his daughters and gave them his best grin. 'So, what are my best girls up to? You say something to Mommy?' He saw their identical pouts and he started laughing.

'See. This is what I mean. You spoil them. You don't spoil Cade.' Max crossed her arms over her chest and made her best bitchy face at him.

'Cade's 15 yrs old and I don't need to spoil him. He's already spoilt enough as it is, by you.' Alec smirked. He saw Max get all red-faced. He loved it when she got angry, it seriously turned him on.

'Huh, I hate you.' She growled and stormed off to the kitchen.

Alec laughed at her behaviour. Hell, she was still the same old Maxie after all this time and he loved her for it. 'Right, my babies, get ready. You don't wanna be late. Mama's golden boy has already gone. So for my sake, be quick.' A matching set of green eyes looked back at him and nodded. He ruffled their dark brown hair and left to find his mate.

Max was in the kitchen making breakfast for them. He got close to her and wrapped his arms around her from behind. Nuzzling her neck to fill his senses with her scent, he whispered in her ear seductively, 'Mine.'

She loved playing this game with him. She kept quiet, acting too busy in her task to notice his low animalistic growl. Serves him right for pissing me off, she thought. But all her resolve crumbled when he bit her on her sensitive spot where her shoulder met her neck. 'Mine.' He asked again. She couldn't help it. She moaned and twisted in his arms to kiss him.

'Yours.' She answered and then leaned in to kiss him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N; In the story, Biggs never got killed, he's still alive and Cece's mate. **

**And guys seriously 1 review for last chapter?...Don't be lazy *pouts*...I need to know if you want to read this...at the moment i have been kind of setting the whole thing up, you know giving background and family/nation details, but the actual real story is starting nxt chapter as this is a story of Cade, M/A's son, but with the family and nation playing a huge part...**

Chapter 2 –

Max and Alec both walked into the command centre together, glaring daggers at each other. The transgenics in the command centre weren't surprised one bit as it was a daily occurrence anyway.

'I can't believe you let the girls miss school and go see Lyla instead.' Max shouted.

'Max, keep it down. God, you're so embarrassing.' Alec looked around at the transgenics apologetically. The transgenics were all looking at them with amused expressions and their ears perked up. Max had a habit of not giving a shit about who listened into her latest whine so she dismissed their interest.

'You asshole. You're sleeping on the couch tonight.' Max smiled triumphantly as if she had won a battle when she saw the panicked look on his face.

'Lyla is their best friend and she wasn't feeling well. So what if they miss one school day. They can catch up. They can ask one of the other kids what they missed. No big deal.' Alec reasoned, not liking the prospect of sleeping on the couch. Though, it certainly wouldn't be the first time if he had to.

'They might be all faking it. We are trangenics, Alec. We never feel ill. Even Cece, her own Mom, was saying she might be faking it.' Max scoffed.

'I know we don't get ill but the second generation kids feel ill sometimes. You know that Max. Last month, Lima got a stomach problem. And Mila's been sick a few times too.' Alec argued.

Max huffed and dismissed Alec. 'Whatever. I need to check out my schedule. I am going in the office.'

Alec followed her closely behind. They shared their office. It was big enough to fit many people if they ever needed to. The room had a huge wooden table in the centre with two comfortable arm-chairs behind it for the leaders. Other strategically placed cushioned chairs and couches sat near the table on both sides and a massive television screen was mounted up on the wall opposite them. They had state-of-the-art technological gadgets lining the table and shelves for communication and other purposes. It was their little luxurious hide-away from the rest of the world. And they were happy to share it. At first, they had shared because it had been good strategically to have them both working in the same place but as time went by it had become a home from home. They felt better when they had each other in their sights. The animal in them wouldn't rest otherwise.

After another bout of arguing over trivial stuff, they got to work and didn't realise how long they had been making calls and doing paperwork when a knock sounded on their door. They were brought back from their intense concentration on their workload when Mole barged in. He walked over to the couch on Alec's side and sat down, shoulders sagged.

'Princess, put the tele on, will ya?' He barked around his cigar.

Alec gritted his teeth and rolled his eyes at Mole's nickname for him and instead of doing what the lizard man instructed, he retorted, 'Something happen to your boob tube?'

'Alec, just put it on and tune into the news.' Mole replied seriously in a grave tone.

Alec and Max, both were taken aback by the sad and defeated expression marring the lizard man's face which was usually a pretty emotionless face. Alec quickly put the news channel on and immediately the screen filled up with images of inexplicable destruction. The news reporter began her story.

'You are listening to the Global News Network. Today's breaking news is one of utter devastation and tragedy. The transgenic Island nation of Scherzo has been swamped by a volcanic eruption. The lava is flooding the island. The nation was formed when some the transgenics had fled to European countries and then later were given recognition and human rights due to the efforts of the leaders of the other transgenic nation, Deania. Scherzo had been formed on a non-active volcanic island with no recorded history of eruptions, off the coast of Scandinavia. According to our latest reports the volcanic island erupted this morning at 8.45 GMT. The country which had a population of 271 transgenics, is fully emerged in lava as you just saw in the images. At last count, only 43 survivors have made it. They were rescued by boats nearby.' The reporter looked around and as in confirmation nodded her head. 'Now, we will be taking you to the Press Conference which is being held in Geneva. The President of the United Nations will be addressing the press and telling us about the current situation regarding the island and the survivors.'

The camera cut to an image of the disaster before the screen filled up with the set-up of a typical press conference. The President of the UN, Rafael Silva, looked around at the various media representatives and cameras and then began. 'Today, we are gathered here because a tragedy struck a nation close to our home. A nation who we had great relations with. A nation who was our friend.'

He gave a heartfelt sigh before continuing. 'Some of you will not treat it as a major catastrophe because I am aware that not all of you are accepting of the transgenics but please for a moment think before you decide that this didn't affect you. These transgenics were part of humanity and they shared the same aspirations, hopes and dreams as you and I. Today, the few survivors who remain have lost everything dear to them. Most have lost their family members but all have lost their homes. Tomorrow, there will be a one minute silence for those who lost their lives, who did not make it. This will take place at 8.45 GMT.' He paused and shuffled some papers on the table as he looked through them for something.

He looked up again after pausing for a moment as if reading something. 'As far as we know, we have rescued all survivors. We are sorry that it was only a small number but the volcano is still active so we can't go near it for full investigation. The survivors will be staying in our French facility until we hear from the leaders of Deania. We assume the CO and SIC will be happy to welcome the survivors into their nation.' The old man looked ahead as if trying to see Max and Alec through the camera. 'This meeting is dismissed.'

Alec grabbed the remote and switched the tele off. He looked over at Max and wasn't surprised when he saw a shocked look on her face and tears falling out of her chocolate brown eyes.

'Maxie?' He started softly. She looked at him and then wiped her tears before nodding.

'Alec, Mole, I'll make the calls. And I want you guys to gather as many boys as possible who don't have other jobs. That'll probably be the 15 to 16 yr olds who are in school because the older boys have jobs. I don't care if the boys miss school for a few days. I want you to split them up in groups of five. Preferably, send five groups. So, you'll need 25 high ranking boys for this job. Their mission will be the retrieval of the survivors. You two will brief these groups. Do I make myself clear?' Max plastered her military emotionless look on as she barked her orders.

Max was the highest ranking female and the strongest Alpha female in their nation as she had never encountered another female who had a higher status. But she knew there were many males who out-ranked her and would have questioned her authority if she wasn't Alec's mate. Although Alec was of the highest rank in the nation and The Alpha, he had never pulled his rank on her. She knew he didn't mind being her SIC because it meant he had her back and no male could question Alec.

'You mean we should send the second generation transgenics for the mission.' Alec asked surprised and when Max nodded, he raised his eyebrow questioningly. 'Really? I know we have been training all the kids in case of an emergency but how will we know who should be the CO to each group. I have only had them trained in the situations where they would have us adults with them. We can't send them alone.' Alec argued.

'Pretty boy's right, Max. I should go with them. Or I'll send some of our older transgenics.' Mole puffed out the smoke of his cigar making swirling patterns with it.

'We won't need to decide on who should act as CO. We'll tell them to go with their instincts and let them rank themselves according to who is more Alpha than others. It'll work out.' Max crossed her legs at her ankles after placing them on top of Alec's as the touch gave her comfort.

'Yeah, you're right. That will work. They will be able to tell who is more Alpha than them. Okay, I'll round the kids up and I'll call you Alec when it's time for briefing. When are we sending them?' Mole got up to leave.

'We'll send them out tomorrow morning. It takes really long to get to Europe from here. And they'll have to be driven to Sydney first because they can't fly out of here. That does remind me, Max, we need a plane and something which can resemble a mini-airport.' Alec said looking at her and placing a hand on her leg for comfort.

'Right.' Mole muttered and rolled his eyes at his leaders' display of affection for each other. He was about to let himself out when something occurred to him. 'You guys do realise that Cade might need to go?' Mole saw Max's mouth form an 'O', but Alec just nodded.

'Does he have to go?' Max asked wide eyed.

'Well, Maxie, we can't expect to send other transgenics' kids and not our own. It's not right to do that. Cade has to go. He's our son. He's well trained. He'll be okay. Trust me.' Alec gave Max a reassuring smile and she nodded in response.

A couple of hours later, Max and Alec made their way home with their daughters following them. They had picked them up from Cece's home, on the way from command. The girls had protested but Max had said that they needed to see off their brother. Alec and Mole had already briefed the chosen 25 boys. There really hadn't been many to choose from anyway. They only had 31 boys of that age range who didn't have jobs and went to school. Alec had decided to assign the remaining 6 boys the task of handling communications and organising the others for the mission. It had been crucial as the 6 boys had started arguing about their desire to be of use. And Alec had thought it would keep them out of trouble and out of his way.

Cade was already at home watching tele. The kid practically jumped in excitement when he heard the rest of the family come in. 'Mom, did you hear? I'm going on my first mission.' He gave her a hug and a kiss.

'Yeah, it was my idea.' Max ruffled her son's hair affectionately as he grinned. It always amazed Max to think how much their kids looked like her and Alec. Cade looked exactly like Alec but with dark brown hair and honey-coloured skin like hers. And her daughters looked exactly like her but had their Dad's eyes and his complexion. Max was glad she had a fine specimen of a mate, at least her kids turned out to be good looking and intelligent. Hell, she should probably thank Manticore for that. That thought was enough for Max to mentally kick herself and tune back in to what was happening around her.

Max noticed Alec had already moved into the kitchen and was cooking something with Mila and Lima sitting on the kitchen counter on either side of him. Mila was talking a mile a minute and Lima was chiming in every now and then to argue a point with her. Alec looked amused by his daughters' antics. Cade had gone back to watching tele. Max walked over to the couch and sat down beside Cade. She looked over at Alec and he looked back at her smiling when he felt her eyes on him. 'You need any help, Alec?' She asked, already knowing the answer. She wasn't good at cooking anyway, that's why Alec cooked most of the time.

'Nah, Maxie. I've got my girls helping me.' Alec rolled his eyes when his daughters giggled at his sarcastic comment.

After dinner that night, all the family sat together watching the news on tele. They were hoping to hear more about the eruption.

When it was bedtime for Mila and Lima, Mila got up and trudged over to her big brother. She sat herself down in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Nuzzling his neck to fill his scent in her senses, she kissed his cheek. Giving him a final hug, she got up. 'Please be careful, okay. I love you.' She walked over to her parents and hugged and kissed them good night before leaving to go to bed.

Cade was surprised and taken aback by the show of affection from Mila and he wasn't the only one. Seeing the surprised looks on his family's faces it was obvious that they were as shocked as he was. Everyone knew their sibling dynamics. Although he loved both his sisters equally, he and Mila didn't get along and were usually found fighting and arguing with each other. Their fighting was common knowledge. His other little sister, Lima, on the other hand, did get along with him. But today Mila had changed his opinion of her. At the mention of him leaving for the mission, Lima had seemed fine, going as far as to say she wanted some presents from France if he could get them but Mila had looked panicked and sad.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 –

Alec looked at the 31 young boys all standing in the briefing room awaiting last minute instructions. 25 of the boys, including his son, had their back packs with them and were dressed in matching military uniforms issued by the Command of Deania. It had been Alec's idea. He had wanted distinctive clothing which would be widely recognised as their military uniform. It was easier that way. It allowed them access in places where civilians weren't allowed as the military officials of other nations could recognise their uniforms. The uniform was pretty fashionable by military standards. It consisted of black cargo pants and white fitted t-shirts and black army style jackets with their nation's flag and various symbols across their chest pockets. Max had made a big deal about the uniforms, saying she hated them as they reminded her of Manticore. But Alec had been adamant to keep them because he knew otherwise there would be problems on missions and the uniforms looking so good had worked to his advantage too. He had found out that Max thought he looked irresistible in his uniform.

'Right, boys, listen up. I want you guys to rank yourselves in order of your Alpha status. Then, I want the top 5 Alphas to come forward and pick four guys for each of their teams. You will be operating according to your rank in the units. The Alpha will be the CO of the unit for the duration of the mission until you get back. And all COs or their SICs are to report to the communications team every other hour. Do I make myself clear?' Alec said in his most authoritative tone and looked around the room at the tired looking boys.

There was a chorus of 'Yes sir', before the room descended in the noise of animalistic growling as the boys pulled rank on each other. Alec exchanged looks with Mole, Biggs and Dalton, who were the only other transgenics present in the Command building at such an early hour. It was before dawn-break. The only ones who weren't home were in this room. The older transgenics all looked highly amused at the young boys. After half an hour of angry growls and a few punches, five boys stood beside Mole picking their teams.

'I knew Ryan was a strong Alpha like me.' Biggs said to Alec, proudly beaming at his son who was one of the COs but didn't look happy about it.

'Yeah, well, he doesn't look happy about it. At least, we now know their rankings. I guess Cade and Ryan wanted to be on the same team.' It was common sense. Ryan and Cade were best friends after all. Alec looked over at Cade. His son had turned out to be the strongest Alpha out of all the 31 boys. Alec wasn't surprised. Cade was his and Max's son and part of the Alpha pack of the nation. It was pretty obvious to him that Cade would be a very strong Alpha. He knew when Cade was old enough then he would probably be as strong as himself.

'Well, they will both have to be COs as they are the highest ranking Alphas out of the kids.' Mole huffed around his cigar.

When the teams were ready to go, Alec and Mole gave Dalton last minute instructions and all the authorised papers. Dalton was going to drive the boys to Sydney International Airport where a UN plane would be waiting to take them to France. Each kid had been allowed one weapon of choice as Alec had told Max that the kids needed to be prepared for any situation. Alec had been present and watching his mate in admiration as she negotiated with the UN President on their plans to retrieve the survivors from his French facility. Rafael had argued the soldiers Max was sending wouldn't need any weapons because they were hardly going to war. But Max had won him over with her argument that the UN couldn't guarantee that there won't be any problems so she needed them to, as a minimum, carry one weapon for their own security.

Alec, Mole and Biggs waited by the road as the huge black van started its journey to Sydney. When the van couldn't be seen anymore they went to Command and addressed the remaining team. Mole told the communication's team to stay in Command and take turns monitoring the progress of the vehicle and communicating with the other teams. And to tell any of them if something out of the ordinary happened. Then they all headed back to their homes.

The quiet empty roads leading to the airport had allowed Dalton to go faster than usual. They had made it to the airport in three hours. The journey would have normally taken five hours even when driving really fast. As the boys filed out of the car they moaned and grumbled about Dalton's dangerous driving.

'Well, I've got better things to do then waste my time chauffeuring you guys as if you were royalty. You're soldiers as of now so stop complaining. Now, follow me with your units. Let's get this show on the road.' Dalton ordered the COs. He walked over to the airport officials who were standing looking at them expectantly.

After showing their papers and saying his fair share of 'good luck's and 'see you all when you get back', Dalton left them in the plane.

Cade looked around at the spacious plane which only seemed to have one section reserved for seating. His eyes met his best friend Ryan's who was sat with his unit. Ryan signalled for him to look ahead to the right. Cade followed his friend's instructions and wasn't disappointed for his efforts. Two air hostesses stood discussing something near what seemed to be the kitchen. Cade looked back at Ryan and nodded his approval, smirking. The air hostesses were hot as far as he was concerned and totally fuck-able. He knew that if he wanted, he could charm his way into both of their pants. But seeing the look on Ryan's face and his friend shaking his head in disagreement, he understood that Ryan was trying to tell him that it wasn't worth it. Cade was disappointed. He could have done well with a bit of tension release. He knew he shouldn't have even thought about fucking a girl because he was on a mission. But it had been a while since his last encounter.

Although he was 15 yrs old, Cade had already slept with nearly all the girls in his school who were in the age range of 14 to 16 yrs old. Same was true for his best friend Ryan. They knew girls found them irresistible and they took advantage of this fact. However, they had a rule of never sleeping with a minor who in their nation was anyone under the age of 14 yrs old. It had made sense because one of Ryan's sisters, Kyla, was 12 yrs old and he was very protective of his sisters. Ryan didn't want to be fighting males who were interested to scratch an itch. Ryan had told Cade he found the idea of fucking anyone under the age of 14 yrs old sick because those girls were just kids. And Cade had agreed because he was as protective of his own sisters and the thought of guys using his sisters boiled his blood. To Cade and Ryan, they didn't have just two sisters but four sisters as they loved each other's siblings as their own. They also had an unspoken rule and that was, never to even look at the girl, you think your best friend cares about in a romantic way, in a sexual way. It hadn't happened yet as they were both young and had never encountered a girl who interested them but the rule was there, embedded in their instincts for future use.

The flight went smoothly as most of the transgenics busied themselves with the plane's entertainment facilities and the others slept. Nevertheless, 22 hours of being cooped up in the plane had been hard for them all because they had never taken such a long flight before and were used to open air and the freedom to move about whenever they wanted.

After they landed in Paris, they were taken to the UN facility in the awaiting military van. When they got to the building, they were ushered into a conference room. Cade signalled to the other COs to open the communication channel with their communication unit back in Deania.

'Comms, this is Alpha unit CO Cade. Can you hear me?' Cade asked in his mouth piece.

'Stu here. Hear you loud and clear.'

'Stu, what's up? All okay there?' Cade could imagine the bird-like transgenic looking at various monitors google-eyed as he spoke.

'Yep. You in Paris?'

'Yeah, we're here. Thought I'd give you an update. We are in the facility. They have left us in their conference room alone for now. We are under surveillance. Five cameras and I'm pretty sure they can hear us too. I guess they want to analyse our behaviour. The other units' COs agree with me. Anyway, you guys keep listening in because we're keeping the channels open.' Cade ordered in an authoritative tone which would've made his parents proud.

'Yes sir. You want me to tell Alec or Mole about this?' Stu asked uncertainly.

'No. We are fine for now. It might be nothing. No need to get worried. Us COs just thought it best if you guys know the situation. We are not in danger as far as we are aware. Our instincts aren't in the survival mode so I guess we're okay. Just keep listening.' Cade sighed.

'Yes sir. Are we to maintain Radio silence until you say otherwise?' Stu asked.

'Yeah. Over and out.' Cade said.

The other COs nodded their heads in agreement. They had been listening to the conversation. Cade had instinctively taken up his role of the leader and spokesperson of the COs. He got out of his chair and stood in front of the teams of transgenics.

'Right, guys, listen up. There are 43 survivors so we will split them between us for their protection. My unit, Ryan's unit, Cell's unit, and Bric's unit will handle the security of the survivors. And Brad's unit will watch our backs. Ryan's unit will have 12 survivors with them. Cell and Bric's units will be responsible for 9 survivors each. My unit will have 13 survivors with them. We will move in the Alpha battle formation. My unit will be in the front, followed by Ryan, Cell, Bric and then Brad's. Brad, your unit will need to make sure all other units are covered in case of a situation. It is of paramount importance that no harm comes to the survivors, physically or emotionally, whilst they are with us. Once we have the survivors under our protection, I don't want any stupid mistakes. We have no information on the way these transgenics have been living. We have to assume they have no training for any situation so they won't know how to protect themselves if we get in a potentially dangerous situation. You're all aware that there are protesters and the global media already camped outside. Keep that in mind before you take any actions. If you are provoked, handle the situation with minimum damage as your training allows. We are here for a retrieval mission, don't let the ordinaries make it into something else.' Cade finished and sat down.

There was a chorus of 'Yes sir.' And then the room fell silent again. After a few more minutes, a UN official came in the room carrying a few papers in his hands. He looked around at them and smiled before taking a seat opposite Cade. Cade exchanged unobvious signals with the other COs telling them that what a coincidence it seemed to be that the guy came just after he laid out his plan of the mission. Ryan rolled his eyes sarcastically and the other COs snorted. Cade knew what it meant. They were all thinking the same. They were being monitored and listened into.

The man looked at Cade, meeting his gaze head on for a fraction of a second before dropping his eyes to the papers. He cleared his throat and nervously fidgeted.

'So, who is the CO here?' The man asked, trying his best to look sincere.

'As if you don't already know.' Cade scoffed.

'I take it that it's you, young man.' The man feigned ignorance of Cade's implication.

'Can we skip the introductions and get straight to business? Where are the survivors?' Cade said nonchalantly.

'You will get custody of them in a few minutes. First, you need to sign these papers.' When Cade gave the man a disbelieving confused look, the man explained. 'These are release papers which say Deania's soldiers are taking the survivors. After you sign this, the survivors will become you're responsibility.'

'Yes, that's all good. But I am not signing anything until I see the survivors and count each one of them and they are under the protection of my soldiers. You can't surely expect me to trust you without even looking at the survivors.' Cade saw the man's face fall. What the hell were these guys playing at? Did they really think them to be so stupid?

'Right. Okay. I had a feeling you won't sign until you have the survivors under your protection.' The man looked at a camera and then spoke to the camera. 'Send the survivors in here. The room is big enough. I am sure this soldier will be happy to sign when he feels satisfied enough that this is just protocol.'

Cade's eyes met Ryan's for a moment before he looked over to Cell who was an excellent strategist. Cade asked in signals, _Do you smell a trap? _Cell started looking around at the rooms shape, size, exit points and equipment. Cade could see Cell was processing data in order to give the best possible answer. Finally, Cell signalled his answer and Cade was horrified when he interpreted it. The answer was, _Yes._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 –

Cade's first thoughts were, shit, this isn't good. But he tried to keep calm and signalled for his fellow COs to do so too. He didn't want the other transgenics in their units to get the whiff of the scent of fear which was going to be coming off the COs if they didn't control their animal instincts. He needed to think of a way of getting out of there without making a spectacle in front of the media. He realised they had been trapped in a situation where it was going to be hard to get out without some form of violence. But he couldn't afford to use violence. His parents had worked so hard to ensure the transgenics were regarded as harmless. He hadn't really been trained for negotiations. He didn't know what to do. Belatedly, he recognised the purpose of the trap. It appeared the UN officials wanted a tussle so they could tarnish the transgenic reputation. It had never happened to the adult transgenics at meetings so it was obvious that the reason for this set-up was that they were all little more than kids. So, these officials thought they could probably get away with provoking some violence.

The door to the room opened and a military man came in, followed by a throng of women, children and young girls. Great, the survivors were mostly the sensitive and gentle sex. Cade couldn't believe his eyes. He realised the men and boys of Scherzo must've tried to save the females as their instincts wouldn't have let them operate in any other way. The COs exchanged serious looks. The military man left after all the survivors were in the room.

The man who had first come in to talk to them and ask for Cade's signature smiled triumphantly. 'These are all the survivors of Scherzo. You can count them if you want.'

Cade growled angrily before giving out a quiet order. 'Cell, count them and check them for weapons or devices with your detector. Don't touch them.' Cade talked using his hands. To the untrained eye, they looked like normal hand gestures but the transgenics understood the signals loud and clear. _We have a situation. I will talk my way out of it. Keep your eyes and ears open. Read my signals._

Cell got out of his chair and moved over to the survivors. He started carrying out his orders. Cade noticed Brad's SIC was watching Cell's progress through the group. It was clear that Brad had told Reul to watch Cell's back. Cade was glad to see the boys were already on high alert. He wasn't the only one. When Cell had finished his task, he sat back down in his chair.

'Are you satisfied now? Shall we get these papers signed and this over with?' The beady-eyed man grinned, almost an evil grin.

'I am satisfied but I would like to meet the UN President, Rafael Silva. Our leaders asked us to thank him in person for his help. We are aware he is currently in Paris for a few meetings.' Cade hoped he was right.

'Mr. Silva does not meet soldiers and you have no appointment with him.' The man was red-faced.

'Why don't you get him on the phone and ask him or better yet let me talk to him on the phone. Then we'll sign this and be out of your hair.' Cade smirked when he saw the frightened look on the ordinary's face.

'Fine.' The man quickly took out his cell phone and dialled the number before waiting for a few seconds and then shutting it. 'He's not answering.'

'Okay. At least you tried.' Cade said looking defeated. 'But can I make a phone call before I sign these documents because I am not sure if I have the authority. Maybe someone else is supposed to sign this. I'll clarify this with my CO.' Cade saw his fellow COs grin and some of the other transgenics of lower rank looking confused. When the man handed him the phone grudgingly, Cade dialled the UN President's number which he had heard the now-sweating-man dial and waited for it to connect.

After a few rings, a man, who couldn't have been anyone other than Rafael, with his deep throaty voice, answered. 'Yes. Rafael Silva speaking.'

'Good afternoon, Mr. Silva. Sorry to disturb you. But we need to talk.' Cade saw the man sat opposite him look back at him wide-eyed.

'Who are you?' The old man on the other end of the phone asked, sounding confused.

'Sir, I am the CO of the team of transgenics who were sent to your French facility from Deania. We are already here in Paris to retrieve the survivors as our leader discussed with you. But it seems the officials here have other ideas. My soldiers and I have been under heavy surveillance for the past three hours since we got here. We don't understand what is happening or the intentions of this. I suggest you get down here chief because if this gets back to our nation's leaders then I am sure you know what will happen. We have a man, one of your high ranking officials no less, who keeps on hassling me for signatures. He's here right now. I'll pass the phone to him.' Cade smiled a devilish smile as he passed the phone to the shaking hands of the UN official.

'Who the hell is this?' Rafael barked down the phone. All the male transgenics sniggered. They could hear the other man clearly.

'Sir. It's Peter Santini.' The beady-eyed man was pale and looked ready to faint.

'Who gave you the authority to treat those soldiers like that? I discussed this matter with all of you yesterday. You were to peacefully hand over the custody of the survivors to their soldiers. Without any questions asked. You idiot.' Rafael fumed.

'But sir…'

'No buts. Do you realise whose soldiers you're messing with? Damn it, how many times have I told you not to let your personal opinions and agendas cloud your judgement? If their leader Max finds out about this, there will be hell to pay. And this isn't even my fault. I'm coming down there. Don't do anything stupid. I'll be there in half an hour. In the mean time, give the soldiers something to eat and drink and no, I don't mean poison. It won't work anyway.' There was a sigh and then the line went dead.

The boys couldn't help it. They all started laughing. Cade looked at the mortified man, Peter Santini and said. 'I like your boss. He sounds cool. I'll tell Max that he holds her in high regard.' Peter's mouth formed an 'O' and his eyes bulged at the realization. 'Oh yes, I do talk to Max. In our nation, everyone has the same rights. All of us foot-soldiers get to talk to her highness whenever we like. I guess I should've told you that before. I'm sure she'll be delighted to hear about this little incident where her soldiers were treated like criminals by an ordinary.' Cade coolly said as his soldiers looked on highly amused. They knew he wasn't allowed to tell he was the son of the leaders of Deania for the purpose of his own security.

Half an hour passed quickly, with the soldiers indulging themselves with French delicacies and wines. They weren't usually allowed to act so adult-like and mature so they were basking in the luxuries of being treated like adults whilst they could. They knew all this would stop as soon as they got back home.

Cade had told the COs that no soldier should talk to any survivor until they were safely in a plane on its way back home. He thought it might affect his soldiers' instincts. The impact of the tragedy was still etched in the survivors' faces. He looked around at the various groups of women and children. It seemed all the survivors had at least one other surviving family or pack member. There was only one girl, probably the same age as him, who was sat in a corner alone. She didn't seem to have any pack members alive although some women asked her if she needed something when they got their own children some drinks Cade had asked the official to provide. Cell had confirmed his musings. He had told Cade that all survivors seemed to share their pack scents with someone except her. She didn't have anyone matching her scent. Cade didn't know why but that thought saddened him. He couldn't imagine life without his family, his pack.

The door to the conference room opened for what was possibly the hundredth time. In came the UN President, Rafael Silva himself, followed closely behind by his bodyguards. Cade and his soldiers got up and saluted him in a show of respect. His Dad had told him that it was a good way to get into the good graces of authority figures because it made them feel powerful and important. Rafael sat opposite Cade and regarded him with a smile on his face.

'I see your parents have raised you well, son.' Cade was taken aback by Rafael's knowing look. 'I'm Rafael and I take it you are the CO of these soldiers.' Rafael raised an eyebrow questioningly.

'Yes sir.' Cade felt a sudden feeling of uncertainty come over him. He decided that this ordinary was definitely good at making people feel unsure about the situation they were in.

'I believe you want to be on your way home soon, with the survivors, soldier.' Rafael said levelling his wise eyes with his green eyes.

Cade immediately felt himself warming to Rafael. His parents were right he really was a good ordinary. 'Yes sir. That is right, sir.'

'Well, I won't keep you any longer then. I have instructed two of my personal bodyguards to escort you to your plane. They will make sure you encounter no difficulties. You have my word, soldier. I will make sure you all get home safe. Though I can not control the media and protesters, I have arranged for two high security mini-buses which will have tinted windows and are bullet proof. And I believe you are trained for dangerous situations so you will be okay. You will be dropped off next to the plane I am sending you in because Charles de Gaulle Airport is too busy at this time for you to go through customs and the plane is private anyway. Please send my warm wishes to your leaders. And please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Tell Max or Alec to call me when you all get there.' Rafael then got up and walked over to where the survivors were sat in one corner of the room. He stood in front of them and sighed sadly. 'I wish I could help you all in any other way but this is the best I can do for now. Again, I am sorry for all of your losses.' He turned to leave but Cade stopped him.

'Sir, it is my first time meeting such an honourable ordinary. It was a pleasure. My soldiers and I want to thank you on behalf of our nation and our leaders for your help and your hospitality. We are grateful to have a friend like you who cares for our well-being.' Cade said and saluted Rafael after shaking his hand. All his soldiers followed suit and saluted Rafael.

'The pleasure was all mine, son. All of you have a safe journey and remember to give me a call when you get there.' He said and then he was gone.

Cade let out a long breath and started giving out instructions. 'Right, guys, split the survivors. Keep families together. You know, how I said it before. Alpha battle formation, split at 13, 12, 9, 9 and back-up. There are two mini-buses so I think we need to change something.' He paused for a minute thinking. 'Right, back-up will be with Cell and Bric in the second mini-bus. My unit and Ryan's won't need back-up because we'll go in the first vehicle. You keep protecting your survivors until we are safely tucked in one of our own vehicles back home. Do I make myself clear?'

There was a resounding chorus of 'Yes sir' before Cade nodded at the UN President's guards that he was ready. They followed the guards and left the building through a back entrance/exit. Once they were all settled with their respective groups, Cade shut his eyes to take a deep breath. He was glad nothing bad had happened so far. As they were driving past the front of the building, he noticed six similar looking vehicles. He exchanged looks with Ryan who was in the front end of the vehicle. And signalled for him to ask the personal guard who was sat in the front about the vehicles. He saw Ryan asking the question and then his best friend smirked which in turn made him feel a little relaxed. Ryan signalled that the vehicles were there to create a diversion for the protesters and the media.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N; pls, check and read chapter 4 before you read this because it has been replaced by the actual ch4 if that makes sense....And i won't beg for reviews anymore....**

Chapter 5 –

Cade was sat in the plane fiddling with his pen and notebook. The drive to the airport had gone smoothly. All the teams and survivors were accounted for. And now the plane was about to take off. He felt some of the tension leave him as, after a few minutes of turbulence, an air hostess announced that they could move around the plane and un-buckle their seatbelts as they were airborne. Cade got up and called the other COs into a corner of the plane. It was an empty corner, so all five of them sat down on the three chairs in various positions.

'What's up?' Bric asked, looking extremely bored. He had that kind of a face.

'Huh?' Cell looked thoughtful and then started looking around. He was observing others and gathering information to process as usual.

Cade nervously ran a hand through his dark brown hair and looked exasperated as he said. 'I know it'll be a boring task and maybe a sad one too. But we should each compile a list of the survivors who are with our unit. You know we'll need basic information so when we get back it'll be easier to hand it over to Mole and he'll be able to sort them out faster. They'll need to be integrated into already formed packs I guess. Most of them are females. There are only little boys. So, they don't have their own males.'

'So, what you're saying is basically I go and talk to the 12 survivors I am responsible for?' Ryan laughed nervously. When Cade nodded, Ryan gave him a serious look. 'Really? You know I am awful at this hurt/comfort kind of shit. I just don't do that.'

Cade snorted. 'I am not telling you guys to start dishing out hugs and kisses. I just need information, just some simple facts. For example, how many family members were lost in the eruption and how many are remaining? Their names, ages and what European countries they were from before Scherzo? Anything weird about their cocktail and also ask their classification or series, however they understand it. And if they don't know then move onto something they do know. See, guys, this is all basic info. You'll be fine.'

'I guess you're right. I have three families with me. They are all a family of three. I'll just have to talk to the three adult females. We don't need to talk to their kids.' Cell said gratefully.

'Well, I better go and start gathering information then. Can I tell my unit members to help out?' Ryan rose from his seat. It was clear from the look on his face, that was exactly what he was planning to do.

'I think it's better if all of us COs do it ourselves. The females will probably recognise us as Alphas and answer our questions because of our ranks.' Brad chimed in. He had been quiet until then but chose that moment to give his opinion on the matter. He had a habit of getting to the heart of an issue and providing the best solution for any problem.

'Yeah, you're right.' Cade agreed, smacking Brad on his shoulder gently to show his approval.

The guys split up after their discussion and headed over to the survivors they were responsible for.

Cade made quick work of asking questions from the five women who had seven kids between them. He wrote the information, adding to the list as the females told him their sad stories. How their mates had heroically saved them. And some of their sons had lost their lives saving their families too. They hadn't been much older than him. He looked over to his final charge and immediately felt bad for her. She was sat by a window, looking out. No one was sat beside her. She had two empty seats next to hers. Cade wondered why no other female had sat with her.

'Hey, I just need to ask you a few questions. You don't mind, do you?' Cade asked her in a soft tone as he sat down on the seat beside her. Her whole body language was screaming hurt and fragile. He was sure he could feel her sorrow radiating off her. She looked at him with her big blue eyes which were red and puffy from crying and he was surprised to see frustration there. She dropped her gaze and her head. Her golden blonde locks falling loose from the knot she had tied them in.

Cade cleared his throat and willed himself to think about the questions rather than how good looking she was. 'So…erm…my fellow COs and I are gathering information on everyone under our protection. I've asked everyone else.' He pointed at the other women although the blue-eyed beauty wasn't looking at him. 'Can you tell me your name, age and country of origin? And it would be of great help if you could tell me what happened and if you have someone else, a survivor, you know who was close to your family.' Cade was confused when she didn't answer. His thoughts immediately jumped to the reasons a girl would ignore him, the sexiest 15 yr old Alpha in his nation or maybe The sexiest Alpha full-stop. Who the hell did she think she was anyway? Her family being dead didn't give her the right to undermine his authority.

'What the hell? I asked you something.' He shouted as he stood up, clearly infuriated by her lack of response.

Silence descended in the plane as everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him, trying to work out what had triggered his outburst. A woman quickly came over and put a hand on his shoulder. 'Zeva hasn't spoken since the eruption. Come over here. I will tell you what you need to know.' The old female beckoned for him to follow her to her seat.

Cade gave the silent girl a final look before heading over to the old female who was Bric's charge. He sat down opposite her in the seat she pointed at. 'What do you know?' He wanted to get straight down to the heart of the matter.

'I witnessed what happened to the girl. It's very sad. I didn't really know her family that well but I did talk to her mother. I used to live on the same street as them. The girl's name is Zeva. She was the only child and quiet spoilt at that. I think Zeva tried to stay with her parents when the volcano erupted. Thankfully, my kid and I were already playing in the ocean. But I could see. Zeva is a very fast runner, possibly the best in our nation. Where I was swimming in the ocean, I saw that she got to the ocean too fast and fell in. Her parents weren't fast enough. She saw her parents trying to run away from the heat of the lava. But it was too late. She saw them burn. And she just stayed in the ocean in the same place without moving. Had I not been there, she wouldn't have survived the lava which I knew was going to pour into the ocean. I swam to her and literally dragged her with me to a nearby boat. I am grateful that my own little boy could swim and hadn't needed me to drag him too.' The woman sighed deeply and wiped a stray tear off her cheek. 'I haven't heard her talk since the eruption. I honestly think she has lost the ability to talk. She used to never shut up. That girl could talk for the world. Nali is a doctor of our nation. She is one of the survivors. She said that it might be related to trauma or shock. The poor girl has lost everything. She's defective now. She can't even communicate. No one will want her.'

At her use of the word defective for the girl, the blue-eyed beauty called Zeva, Cade felt like ripping the old transgenic woman's heart out. How dare she call her defective? Why wouldn't anyone want her, she was perfect. There was nothing defective about her, unless perfection was a defect. What the hell was he thinking? Why should he care if everyone treated her as if something was wrong with her?

'Do you know her age and country of origin? And I also need to know what she is, X5, X6 or something else? She looks like an X-series.' Cade asked hoping the woman would know.

'Oh, she's second generation X5. Last year her mother had said something about her 14th birthday so I guess she is 15 now or will be soon. Her mother was Dutch and her father was mixed. I think French and Italian. Well, that's what their DNA donors were anyway. So, I think, that makes Zeva mixed. They had had no other pack members. She's the only one left. The poor thing.' The woman made a sad face and Cade couldn't listen to her anymore. She was getting on his nerves. It was pretty obvious, the woman loved gossiping. As if they didn't already have enough gossips in Deania, what difference would one more make? He sniggered sarcastically at the thought.

Cade spent the rest of the flight, looking mournfully at Zeva's curled up profile. He felt restless. He had the insane urge to go and comfort her. But he fought it. Though he tried to hide his need, his wierd behaviour wasn't lost on his best friend Ryan. Ryan kept throwing him knowing glances and grinning like a mad hyped-up child every time Cade looked over athis friend. After hours of his inner monologue and him trying to think of a way to say sorry to her without looking like a desperate love-sick puppy, the air hostess announced that they were two minutes away from landing so seatbelts should be buckled. Cade was glad they were nearly back home. He was getting sick of this whole playing the CO gig.

Cade looked around at everyone buckling their seatbelts and then looked over at Zeva. He realised she was still curled up like a ball how she had been most of the journey. Shit, that meant she hadn't buckled her belt. What the hell was she playing at? Does she not know any safety procedures? Cade quickly got out of his seat and immediately got scolded by an air hostess. He went over to her and demanded she buckle her belt. But she didn't move so he moved in front of her face and realised she was sleeping. He got hold of her belt and had nearly successfully buckled it when she woke up, startled. She started smacking his hands away from where they were touching her waist.

'You were asleep. I was doing the seatbelt.' He nervously said, looking her in the eyes. He knew he sounded pathetic and that he should apologise. But he couldn't say anything else. He was tongue-tied. His mind had gone numb when he had been hit by the smell of her fear. She had been scared of him. Some instinct in him felt bad about that. He didn't want her to be scared of him. He watched her from under hooded eyes as he sat beside her, waiting for plane to touch down. When the plane stopped and the air hostess repeated her usual, 'we hope you enjoyed your journey', all the males sighed, relieved.

They were met by Alec, Biggs, and Mole waiting by three huge black vans as they got out of the plane. Cade looked at them and then feeling drained gave what he hoped his final order for the day. 'Alphas, form battle formation with your units and your charges.' He felt all his unit line up behind him with the survivors standing beside them and other units following. When all went quiet, he saluted and was immediately followed by the rest of the boys in their salutation. 'Sir, Alpha CO Cade reporting. Mission was successful. All 43 survivors were retrieved without any problems. Rafael Silva sends his best wishes to our leaders, Sir. There was a special mention of Max.' Cade smirked when he saw the identical smirk on his Dad's face.

'Stand down, guys. Boys, you did great. We're proud of you. Let's get back home then we'll talk about this. Cade's unit, come with me. Ryan and Brad's units, go with Biggs. And Cell and Bric's units, go with Mole.' Alec laughed when Bric made a horrified face. 'Mole, see how popular you are? Bric's jumping with joy.'

The teams got in the vans, ready to go. Cade was sat in the front of the van with Alec. He asked his Dad about his Mom and sisters before giving him a detailed account of what actually happened.

'You are my son.' Alec declared.

'Well, duh. Who else's am I?' Cade retorted.

'I'm so proud of you. I could kiss you right now.' Alec said affectionately.

'No, thanks. I'm going to tell Uncle Dean you said that.' Cade said mischievously.

'If he was here, he would have already done the deed. I can't believe it. Wait till I tell Maxie. Your Mom is always blaming me for everything you kids do wrong. It's time she appreciates my qualities.' Alec gave him a dazzling smile.

'Dad, what the hell are you going on about?' Cade asked totally confused.

'Where do you think you got your 'talking-yourself-out-of-danger' gene? Your Mom sure as hell doesn't have it. That woman could kill someone with her inability to talk. She's only good at ass-kicking, especially mine. She doesn't do talks.' Both father and son shared a laugh over that.

'Dad?' Cade looked at his hands as he nervously chewed on his lip and fidgeted.

'Yeah?' Alec saw his son not meeting his eyes and looking the most emotional he had ever seen him.

'I didn't realise it before but I missed you guys. My family. My pack.' Cade finally managed to get out. Damn, he sounded like a baby.

Alec swallowed the lump that formed in his throat and threatened to spill his emotions in front of his own son's eyes. 'We missed you too. You can't even imagine how much. It was less than three days in total but it felt like three decades. Mila's been sleeping in your bed. I guess she's been missing you so much that it was enough for her to swallow her pride and go and find your scent. She's actually been acting strange, considering you two don't get along. Lima's been giving her a hard time over it. She's been calling her a baby and repeatedly reminding her that you love her more than Mila.' Alec paused and took a deep breath.

'Lima's wrong. I love them both equally.' Cade protested.

'Yeah, well you don't show it. Don't join in with Lima this time, if she picks on Mila in front of you. I think you'll really hurt Mila's feelings if you do. I didn't realise how sensitive she was until now. You're Mom's been edgy too. Everyone's been trying their best to stay out of her way. You know how bitchy she can be when she's worked up about something. I missed you too, kid. I didn't have you to boss around and talk boys stuff with. And believe me it wasn't fun finding out that our females go mad when you're not at home.' Alec smacked him upside his head gently to show his affection.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 –

The three vehicles arrived in Deania to find a crowd gathered near the Command building. They were there to welcome the boys and the survivors. Alec looked ahead at the transgenics of all kinds as he drove slowly towards them. At the head of the crowd, Max was stood in her most bitchy stance. She had her head held high, shoulders squared and legs apart with her fists resting on her curvy hips. The pose always sent Alec's mind into the realms of his most sadistic erotic fantasies of his mate. He blinked rapidly and cleared his throat. He tried to think of something else in order to keep his concentration on his driving.

'Cade, you were saying you've compiled information on the survivors?' Alec asked to confirm.

'Yes sir.' Cade comfortably slipped into the soldier mode.

'When we get to Command, I want you to tell your soldiers to follow you into the Command centre. Keep the survivors with you. I want you to go to the briefing room with everyone and wait for me. You understand?' Alec thought it was best to sort out the survivors in the Command centre, away from the mob. He needed to talk to the boys about the mission anyway.

'Yes sir.' Cade nodded, his eyes fixed on the crowd.

When the vehicle stopped, Cade got out and started issuing Alec's instructions to the units. All the boys just lazily nodded and signalled to the survivors to follow them into the building.

As Cade walked past Max, he grinned which caused her to blow a kiss at him. Alec went to stand beside her but she just smacked him away. She looked over at the survivors walking into the building with a heavy heart. She followed them as she felt Alec move behind in order to trail her.

Cade led everyone into the briefing room as his Dad had told him to and then waited for the adults to arrive. They didn't have to wait for long. Within minutes, Max, Alec and Mole were in the room.

'Boys, I'm so proud of you. Alec just told us what happened. Rafael is a good man.' Max addressed the little boys she had talked the males into sending without experienced backup. They had been in a dangerous situation. If it wasn't for Rafael, they could've gotten hurt. All because of her awful decisions.

'Ma'am, Rafael is an honourable man. You were right. He sends his best wishes. You should call him to tell him we arrived safe. He requested that from us.' Cade looked at the other boys before adding. 'The mission was accomplished without any problems. I think we should organise the survivors as soon as possible. My soldiers and I would like this to be over so we can head home, Ma'am.' Cade droned out, still in his soldier mode. He was unsure what he was expected to do. Shed the military persona or keep it until told otherwise.

Max gave him a horrified look before scowling at Alec and Mole.

Alec raised an eyebrow and feigned innocence. 'What?' He asked Max, sounding annoyed as he looked questioningly at her.

'You ass. Just wait. I am gonna kick your ass for this.' She leaned closer to Alec and smacked him upside his head.

'Ow, bitch.' He muttered, rubbing his head.

Mole huffed and puffed out smoke from his cigar as he realised why the nation's biggest bitch was acting so pissy. 'Stand down, soldiers. Boys, you're home now. The mission's over. There's no need to stay in your soldier mode.' There was a collective sigh. The boys visibly relaxed. 'Princess didn't tell you that, huh? Should've figured.' Mole snorted when he saw the realisation hit Alec.

'Mole understands me better than you.' Max crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Alec.

Alec smirked and bumped shoulders with her. 'Why don't you two become mates then?' He asked with a laugh.

'That wasn't even funny, princess.' Mole replied, looking disgusted by the thought.

'Was to me.' Alec slapped his hands together and gave a playful smile.

'Dad, Mom, Mole, can you guys discuss this some other time. Seriously, I'm getting sick of this.' Cade huffed out. He stared at his parents. 'You guys are so embarrassing.' He did mean it, especially in that moment. Everyone in Deania knew about his parents but the survivors didn't and it didn't seem right that they should get this little scene as a first impression of their leaders.

'Yeah. Whatever. Where's the list you compiled?' Alec asked. Cade handed him the list. Alec moved next to Mole and started to study and discuss it with him.

'Alec, shut up for a second.' Max said before addressing the survivors. She made eye contact with most adult females to classify their rank. They were all pretty weak females. She didn't know about the ones she hadn't made eye contact with but she had a feeling that the Scherzo females had lesser developed animal instincts. 'As the leader of Deania, I would like to say how sorry my nation and I are for your losses. I hope you have no problem settling in here. We are one big family and we are happy to welcome you in our family. All the families will be kept together so you have nothing to fear or worry about.'

Alec and Mole exchanged serious looks. 'Cade, in this list everyone seems to have pack members alive apart from a girl called Zeva?' Alec looked at the survivors trying to pick out who she might be. It wasn't hard. His eyes met with blue oceans of hurt. The girl was a beautiful kid despite her dishevelled look. Alec's heart melted.

'Yeah. She hasn't spoken since the eruption. I tried to ask her stuff. But she didn't say anything. Got the info from another female.' Cade didn't want to be talking about her.

'Right. Mole, I want you to get some Alphas in here and assign each family to a pack or ask around if any single males want to make the females their pack. Make sure the males know all the information we've got. I want this done as soon as possible. Go now.' Max said to Mole who dejectedly walked out of the room. 'You boys, go home. No school tomorrow as a reward so enjoy your day. We've already told the comms unit about this when they were sent home. The girls in your classes are not happy but they'll get over it.' The boys got up and started to file out. Before leaving, Cade gave Max a hug and a kiss because he hadn't had the chance before.

'Max, what about Zeva?' Alec asked. He had seen the way Cade had acted at the mention of her name. He had a feeling that Cade's instincts had already become involved with her for some reason. He passed the survivors' info list to her and waited for her to read it.

'I am sure she'll be comfortable with someone she knows.' Max said. She smiled at the young girl. It was pretty obvious who Zeva was because there was only one survivor sitting alone in a corner in the room. She looked at the adult females and asked. 'Who would like to adopt Zeva into their family?' Max had thought there will be a chorus of eager females. But no one said anything. She saw tears form in Zeva's eyes and she felt like crying herself. She knew too well, the feeling of losing loved ones and being alone.

Alec sensed Max getting emotional and smelt her scent change as it became stronger. He could smell his mate's sadness and could feel her pain. He moved closer to her and put an arm around her waist for comfort.

'No one wants her in their family?' Alec asked the survivors in a hard tone. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

'She can't talk.' A female said as if it was a good enough reason.

'She's defective now.' Another female chimed in.

'I wouldn't mind but I have kids to look after.' A female with two kids said.

'She can't even communicate. I haven't got the patience to put up with a silent teenager who was the nation's most spoilt brat.' A weird-looking female stated.

'Enough.' Max tensed up. She couldn't believe her ears. She had forgotten in this past decade how selfish transgenics could be. She was glad she had changed her own nation. This was awful. She saw the blank look on Zeva's face and something inside her snapped. She knew that look. It was the same look Alec had given her when he had been hurt enough to shut down his pain and pretend he was dead. Love had gotten him better and she was sure it would make this beautiful girl better too. 'As of now, Zeva is part of the nation's Alpha pack. Alec and I will love to have her as a part of our family. Come on, baby. Let's go home.' Max went over to her and grabbed hold of her hand. She gently pulled her on her feet and guided her to walk beside her. 'Alec, tell Mole to sort these lot out. I'll pick up the girls on the way. I'll see you at home. Don't be long.' She smacked him on the shoulder with her free hand and gave him a quick kiss then left with Zeva trudging beside her.

Max told Zeva about the nation as they walked to Biggs' home to pick Mila and Lima up. It was pretty late in the evening. The sun had set and the air was humid. Max wasn't usually much of a talker. The rest of her family made up for her silent nature but she made an effort for Zeva. When they were close enough to the white mansion-like house Cece had demanded Biggs build for them, Max heard Cece shouting on the top of her lungs.

She walked in, followed closely by Zeva. 'What the hell is going on?' Max asked, wide-eyed.

'Kyla's pissing me off, that's what's going on. And the other girls are going mad with excitement.' Cece sighed, looking red-faced.

'Why?'

'Ryan's back. They decided they missed him too much. And he's been trying to get them out of his room for ages now.'

'Girls, get down here now.' Max shouted in her best bitchiest bark.

All four girls were down in seconds. They smiled innocently and made puppy eyes at the two adult females.

'I want you all to meet someone special. This is Zeva. She's same age as Ryan and Cade. She's going to be in our pack.' Max saw her daughters' eyes light up.

'We are going to have a big sister?' Lima asked, grinning.

'Yeah.' Max answered.

'That's so cool.' Mila declared.

All four girls launched themselves at Zeva, giving her hugs and kisses. Telling her how much fun they'll all have.

'Girls, give her some air.' Cece chastised.

'Mommy, I think Zeva doesn't like us. She isn't even saying hi.' Lyla mused.

Max looked at Cece sadly and shook her head. 'Zeva doesn't talk right now. She's hurt. When she's all better then she'll talk to you.'

All four hyped-up girls looked confused and then exchanged looks before nodding in unison.

'That's okay. Daddy says I can talk for the world anyway. She doesn't need to talk. She can just be our big sister.' Mila said, a huge smile splitting her face.

'We should get going. The girls want to probably see their brother.' Max gave Cece a hug and left with the three girls in tow.

Max opened their penthouse door to find her shirtless son sleeping on the couch. The tele was on in the background and junk food wrappers were all over the coffee table. Before she could tell her daughters to not disturb their brother, they were already jumping on him. They hugged him and kissed him repeatedly.

'What the…' Cade muttered groggily. He turned on the couch so that he was lying down flat on his back rather than his stomach. It wasn't an easy feat, what with one of his sisters sitting on top of him and the other clinging to his side. Mila lay beside him and snuggled up to him whilst Lima sat herself down on his stomach. He saw the look Lima was levelling at Mila and decided to prevent the name-calling that was about to surely take place. 'So, how are my two favourite girls?' He used his Dad's greeting. It always worked with his Dad. It would surely work for him too.

'Mila's such a baby. She's been sleeping in your bed. Anyway, I told her you love me better than her.' Lima declared but the look on her face said it was a question.

Cade felt Mila pull away. He immediately felt her absence. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. 'I love both of you the same. Mila and I just fight more because we are so similar and it's our way of showing love.' Mila gave him a smile and nuzzled his neck to get his familiar scent in her nose. He knew his sisters felt safe when they had his scent around them. Their trust in his ability to keep them safe and secure made him feel great.

'Cade, Mommy said we have a big sister now. Her name is Zeva. She's going to live with us. That's so cool, isn't it?' Lima said excitedly, jumping on his stomach and forgetting all about her little disagreement with him over Mila's behaviour.

Cade did a double-take when his sister's words registered. What? Oh, shit. Oh, no. What the hell?

Max tapped her foot on the floor impatiently as she looked at her kids' little reunion. She knew her daughters had missed their brother. It had been the first time Cade had been away. And the first time her kids had felt their instincts overriding them. Their animal instincts hadn't let the girls rest because their pack member wasn't with them. An Alpha who protected them and made them feel safe.

'Girls, get off your brother. Let him up.' Max said, her lips twitching.

Mila and Lima unglued themselves from Cade and got up. Cade quickly followed suit and got up off the couch. He looked over at his Mom and then Zeva. Zeva was stood behind his Mom, looking ahead with the same blank look she always had on her face if you weren't talking to her or about her directly. All of a sudden, Cade felt conscious of the fact that he was shirtless and felt himself go red. No, he wasn't blushing. Even if he was, it wasn't because of her. He excused himself and went to his room to grab a t-shirt and compose himself. He heard his sisters giggling about something as he left.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N; Thanks to those who do review, i appreciate it...i have said before i won't beg for reviews anymore but guys who read this it doesn't hurt to tell me what you think does it?...**

Chapter 7 –

Cade stayed in his room until Max called him for dinner. He went to the kitchen and washed his hands before going to join the family at the dining table. He stopped near the table when he saw the seating arrangement. Everyone was sat in their usual places with Max at the head of the table and the others surrounding her. The only difference today was that Zeva was sitting in his place in between Max and Lima instead of him.

'Why is Zeva sitting in my place?' Cade said, angrily. He felt like a spoilt kid but like hell he was going to let her take his place just like that. Everyone looked at him with different expressions adorning their faces at his question. His parents looked unhappy and disappointed and his sisters looked confused and were rolling their eyes as if they were thinking he was being stupid. Finally, he looked at the trouble-causer herself, Zeva, and was astonished to see the dead blank look on her face.

Alec glared at his son and paused in his eating to reply. 'Cade, it doesn't say your name on it. She's family. She can sit wherever she wants. Just sit on another chair.'

Cade glared back at his father and then sat down beside Mila. He grabbed a plate and mounted it with food. He ignored everyone else as he silently ate, especially the blue-eyed infuriating female who he was adamant on disliking.

Dinner was a noisy affair in their home. Mila and Alec talked non-stop as always. Max and Lima chimed in whenever they had a point to make.

After dinner, the family moved to the living room. Alec sat on the couch with Max's legs resting over his lap. Their daughters were both sat on either side of their new family member on the other couch and their son was lounging on the floor, head propped up on his hand which was bent at the elbow. They were watching a movie. It was their movie night.

Biggs had made Dalton in charge of the nation's entertainment needs. So, Dalton went to Sydney every month to get new DVD releases from his suppliers. He stored them in a storage room at Command so the transgenics could watch them when they wanted. Tonight, Alec had gotten hold of a romantic film with an acceptable rating. He didn't want to corrupt his little innocent girls. The film was called 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona'.

An hour into the film, Mila came over to her parents and climbed onto Max's legs on Alec's lap. She rested her head on her mother's stomach and snuggled up. Within minutes, she was asleep. Alec looked over at his other kids, hoping he could tell one of them to take Mila to bed, but Lima was talking to the silent Zeva and Cade was totally engrossed in the film. Alec knew his son thought the actresses were hot and wasn't going to miss anything.

'Lima, take your sister to bed.' Alec said in the end. He didn't want to miss the film either. It was really good and he knew Max was enjoying it too.

Lima made an annoyed face and then got up. 'I'm going to bed anyway. This film is boring. I don't understand what's the dealio with it.' She lifted Mila gently off her mother. Alec smirked at her use of her mother's term, dealio rather than deal. 'Good night.' She said rather loudly before carrying her sister to bed. She wasn't the lovey-dovey type of a girl unlike Mila. She didn't hug and kiss unless it was a special occasion or she was in the mood.

The remaining four watched the film in silence. Well, one of them couldn't speak anyway. Zeva just stared blankly at the screen. The silence would only get disturbed every now and again when Alec and Max shared passionate kisses. When the film finished, Cade stood up and stretched his aching limbs.

'That was an average film, Dad. Get an action movie next time.' He moaned, disapprovingly.

'Yeah. That's why you hardly blinked you loved it so much.' Alec retorted.

'Dad, did you see those chicks? They were hot. And that kiss? I want me some of that kind of action.' Cade's eyes went dreamy and he had a stupid grin on his face.

'Cade!' Max warned.

Alec laughed at his son, thinking that his son was definitely like his father. Max smacked the both of them on their heads and walked over to the still Zeva and put an arm around her shoulders.

'Come on honey, I'll show you your room.' Max said to the bleary-eyed girl. Zeva stood up almost robotically and followed Max.

Cade asked his Dad before going to sleep himself. 'Dad, what room is she staying in?'

'The spare room. Where else do you think?' Alec switched the tele off and carried the empty bowl of popcorn and other junk food wrappers into the kitchen.

Cade followed him. 'But Dad, that room is next to mine.'

'So?' Alec asked. Seriously, what the hell was the kid's problem?

'I don't want her to have that room.' Cade pouted, unintentionally.

'That's the only spare room we have. She can't share with the girls because this is long-term and your sisters' room is hardly big enough for themselves. You know how much crap they have in their room. And you know the guest room is off-limits. It's your Uncle Dean and Uncle Sam's room. I don't allow anyone to stay there. What's your problem anyway? It's not like she's sharing your room or something.' Alec grunted.

'She should be near girls. If she has the spare room, then my room will be in between her and the girls' room. I'll be surrounded with female scents. And she doesn't even have a familiar scent. My instincts might not allow me to sleep, Dad.' Cade reasoned.

'Get used to her scent. She's our pack member now. You're as responsible for her safety and comfort as you are for our other females. I don't want you to whine about this in front of her. You'll hurt her feelings. She's already been through a lot in such a young age.' Alec warned and made a sad face.

What no one knew was that Zeva had also shut her brain down. She couldn't feel anymore. She only recognised orders, commands, mention of her name or direct physical contact but her response to all that was instinctive. Only the animal in her was capable of doing anything at this point. She couldn't respond with thought because she had chosen to just function like a zombie without emotions, feelings or thoughts when her world had fallen apart. She couldn't face the reality of what had happened to her, just yet. She wasn't ready.

Max came back looking sad and beaten. 'That poor baby. She's like she has no life in her. She smells all wrong, Alec. Like fear, sadness and death.'

Alec held his mate and rubbed her back, soothingly. 'She'll snap out of it when she's ready.'

Cade decided it was time to leave his parents before they forgot he was still there and moved to an M rated moment. However, before he could utter his good night and leave, he heard the direction of the discussion change. He decided to listen before leaving. A decision he would later regret.

'Tomorrow, I'm taking her for shopping. She hasn't got anything. I hope I won't be needed at Command.' Max said, leaning against Alec.

Alec nervously scratched his head. 'Erm, Maxie, you can't. We have the weapons inspectors coming in for routine checks. Last time you weren't there. That's why this time they specifically asked that you are present at the meeting since you're our leader.'

'But Alec, she needs things. Her clothes are ripped in places. The sweatshirt she's wearing isn't even hers. It belongs to some guy, probably one of her rescuers. I can feel it, she isn't comfortable with the scent. We wouldn't want Mila or Lima to be surrounded by unfamiliar scent because they didn't have clothes, would we?' Max questioned.

Alec shook his head. The thought of another male's scent on his girls made him angry. He growled in answer. He heard his son's angry growl and knew he was thinking the same thing.

All of a sudden, Max pulled away from the embrace of her mate. 'I know what we can do. Cade's off school tomorrow, so he can take her to the shopping mall. Alec, just give him enough money for loads of clothes.'

'What? Nooo…' Cade looked horrified. 'Dad, please.' He pleaded. 'Tell Cece or some female to take her.'

'No, they won't accept money. I can't have someone else buying her stuff for her. She's my kid now. The girls are going school. Otherwise I would've told them to take her. You're the only one who will be home doing nothing.' Max made it sound like an order. She had used her no nonsense tone.

'How do you know? I might have plans.' Cade smirked at his smart-ass comment.

'I know you don't. And if you do, then you won't by tomorrow morning.' Max smiled triumphantly. There were definitely advantages to be had if you were a small nation's leader.

Cade groaned angrily and then stormed out of there. He shut his bedroom door and fell gracelessly on his bed. He was determined to not go to the bathroom to get ready for bed. His parents could feel bad about this. He wanted them to feel guilty. He had just got back from a mission and this is what he got as a reward. He sat up and grabbed his cell phone. He needed to talk to Ryan.

After half an hour of listening to Ryan laughing his head off at his current situation, Cade lost all faith in humanity. He knew it was going to be embarrassing for him. He was going to be the laughing stock at school for ages if he really went shopping with her and the kids found out. Tomorrow was going to be a bad day for him. He could already feel it. He just hoped no one from school found out, which was going to be hard, what with only having one small mall and knowing everyone who worked there. After hours of thinking, he gave up on coming up with ways to get out of what his mother was going to make him do. Exhaustion took hold of him and he fell into a restless sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N; Thanks to those of you who actually review after reading…I appreciate reviews, they motivate me…And, those of you who don't, well what can I say *pouts, disappointed*...**

**Those of you who are wondering about the back-story of how Alec met Dean and Sam, there won't be one…I am sorry about this…You'll just have to assume Dean had given his blood for a clinical test for money in hard times when he was just a kid and that clinic had been Manticore's. The blood had been used because Dean's genetic make-up was naturally great and he was Alec's genetic donor. Years later, Dean found out about Alec and sought him out. Now, the Winchesters are family, pack to Alec and visit whenever they can. The apocalypse was averted by the Winchesters but they still hunt evil things. **

Chapter 8 –

Morning came too early for Cade. Max shook him. 'Cade, wake up. It's already past 9.00. Alec has gone to drop the girls off to school and he's going to go to Command from there. I need you to get up and get ready. I need to go to Command soon.' Max shook him again when he didn't respond.

'Mom!' Cade groaned, still tossing in his bed with his eyes shut.

'Get up, now. Or shall I kick your ass?' Max felt frustrated. She was already pissed off that she couldn't take Zeva to buy things herself. She didn't need her son giving her attitude.

Cade pouted and mournfully looked at his Mom with hurt puppy eyes before grabbing his towel and heading to the bathroom he had to share with the girls. He made a disgusted face at the thought. Normally, he didn't care that he had to share the bathroom but Mila and Lima were his baby sisters unlike that girl, Zeva. Now, she'd be using the bathroom too. After a quick shower, he got ready and went to the kitchen. He put his leather jacket on and grabbed a bottle of milk to drink.

Max saw Cade ignoring her and Zeva. 'Cade, aren't you gonna say good morning today?' Max asked, feeling her patience wearing thin. Her son simply shrugged in answer. 'Well, I gotta blaze. Take Zeva to the shopping mall and buy her enough clothes for at least a few days. I'll take her back when I've got time. And by clothes, I also mean underwear besides other things. Get her a jacket too. She shouldn't be wearing any male's sweatshirt especially a male who isn't her pack.' Max shuddered, thinking about how she'd feel if she had to wear another male's clothes especially an ordinary's. Over 16 years ago, she had mooned over an ordinary and now, every time she thought back to that time she felt sick and found it unbelievable. But that had been because she hadn't allowed her animal side to awaken. 'Oh, yeah I almost forgot. Get some shoes for her too. Here's the money.' Cade took the money from her outstretched hand. 'Cade, please don't let me down, Okay?' Max held her son's gaze for a long minute until he dropped his eyes to the floor.

'Okay, Mom. I'll do this for you. But you owe me big for this.' Cade said, seriously.

Max smiled at him in her most maternal way and gave him a kiss. She moved over to Zeva who was leaning on the kitchen counter. She gave her a hug and kiss but didn't get any response. 'Right, I have to go now.' She grabbed her jacket and hastily left in case her son changed his mind.

Silence descended in the house. Cade cleared his throat and stared at the life-size dead doll in front of him. Nerves overcame him for a moment as he thought of what to say to her. 'Come on, let's go shopping.' He moved to leave, thinking she was following him. When he got to the door, he turned around to let her through but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. He went back and was perturbed to find her still standing by the kitchen counter where he had left her. How come she hadn't followed him? She followed his Mom everywhere. He thought back and realised that his Mom always made physical contact or spoke directly to her. He swallowed his pride and walked up to her. 'Zeva, come on. Let's go buy you some clothes.' He got hold of her hand and gently tugged it. He felt her tense up and saw her move beside him.

They walked to the shopping mall, which wasn't far, in silence. He didn't try talking to her. He couldn't talk. He was too busy interpreting her body language and thinking how good it felt to hold her hand in his. He could've let go. She would've followed him to the mall, he knew. But he couldn't bring himself to let go because he didn't want to. He felt that she was instinctively responding and functioning. He didn't know why or how he knew that she had shut her brain down…that she was blocking everything. But he knew. He felt it.

He took her straight to Jen's because it was where his mother and sisters got their clothes from. The shop had the best variety of female clothes according to his females. There were two other shops for female clothes but they catered for the mainstream and the weird and wacky transgenic females not females with specific tastes.

Cade was glad to find the shop empty. He really didn't want to get into discussions with other females as to why he was shopping with a girl.

'Hey, Jen.' Cade nodded in greeting as he walked over to the female whose shop it was, still holding Zeva's hand. Jen was lounging on a chair behind the checkout counter.

'Hey, Cade. What brings you to this part of girly paradise?' The little mousey-looking female with blue streaks in her hair asked in a squeaky voice. It was a well known fact that the nation's teenage boys never went shopping with females, be it their pack or otherwise.

'Mom couldn't come. And the girls are at school. I have a day off because of the mission as I'm sure you've already heard.' Cade responded, leaning against the counter.

'Word does get around here quiet fast, you know.' Jen shrugged.

'Yeah. Look, Jen, can we hurry this up. Not that I mind talking but I want to get this over and done with.' Cade sighed.

'Sure. I assume you're here to get clothes for the girl?'

'Zeva.' Cade corrected.

'Huh?' Jen gave him a confused look.

'Her name's Zeva. She's in the Alpha pack now. She's pack. She hasn't got any clothes. Mom said to buy quiet a lot until she could come herself. She doesn't know when that'll be. You know how busy she is.' Cade said feeling agitated.

'Okay.' Jen looked at Zeva and started giving her a thorough inspection. 'She, the silent girl everyone's talking about.' It wasn't a question, more of a statement. Cade nodded. 'Right, we'll need to figure out her size first. Zeva, sweetie, take this sweatshirt off. I need to see your actual body shape. This thing is too big and hideous at that. I can't see anything with you being flooded in it.' Jen said, getting out of her chair and coming to stand in front of Cade and Zeva.

Zeva didn't respond. She looked confused as she stared ahead. Jen and Cade exchanged looks. Jen went into mother-hen mode, looking concerned about Zeva. She moved closer and touched Zeva's arm with the intention of helping her out of her sweatshirt.

Cade felt Zeva tense up at the touch and tighten her grip on his hand. He felt her fear and anger. It was the danger instinct in all of them. He shook his head at Jen when he met her eye.

'Jen, I'll help her. Why don't you go and grab some different types of clothes she might fit into whilst I get her out of this.' Cade said as he moved in front of Zeva. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jen nod sadly and leave to get the clothes he had asked for.

When they were alone, Cade moved closer to Zeva's neck and nuzzled it, filling his senses with her smell. His Mom was right, she did smell all wrong. He hoped that the animal inside her would recognise the act for what it was. A pack member telling another that they were safe and secure with their own pack. At first, she tensed up but then he felt her relax a little. 'Zeva, I'm going to help you out of this now, Okay?' Not waiting for any kind of response, he put his arms around her body and pulled the sweatshirt off her in one swift move. He gasped when he pulled back. Her t-shirt was ripped in many places and was caked in dried blood. He immediately started to check her upper body for any wounds and wasn't surprised to find a few bruises adorning her arms and ribs.

Jen walked in to see Cade looking concerned as he checked the new girl for wounds. She saw the t-shirt caked in blood and it caught her breath. It reminded her of the time she had spent running away from Manticore and the friends she had lost on the way. Casting the memories back in the recesses of her mind, she joined the two teenagers.

'I see you managed to get the top off.' Jen mused loudly.

'I think she recognises me as pack.' Cade shrugged feeling embarrassed and hot, all of a sudden. 'So, what have you got there?'

Jen placed the clothes she was carrying on the counter. 'All females have different and particular tastes. Even when they live in the same house and belong to the same pack, females don't share tastes. You may have noticed this yourself. Your Mom loves black and leather, Mila loves everything girly and Lima likes to dress like boys.' Cade nodded in agreement. 'I don't know what Zeva will like. Her top is plain and doesn't tell me much. And her pants are plain and ripped too.' Jen admitted. She was the most insightful fashionista of the nation and proudly helped a lot of the transgenic females dress up. It was the first time she felt out of her depth. She had a feeling this female wasn't going to share any opinions. This female was like a blank canvas.

Cade sensed Jen's hesitation. 'Don't worry about it. I'll pick out the clothes. Just show me all the clothes in her size.'

Jen sighed in relief. 'Okay. There will be a label on the back of her t-shirt, near her neck. Read it out for me. I think she's more comfortable with you touching her.' Jen instructed.

Cade got behind Zeva and pulled the label out. He felt a vibration in the tip of his fingers when they brushed her neck. He heard a low animalistic sound come from Zeva's throat at the touch and looked at Jen to see if she had heard it too but the shop owner was oblivious to the sound. Had he been the only one to hear it? He cleared his throat, trying to think of something disgusting so he wouldn't have to think of how sexy the animalistic sound coming from her had been. 'It reads, UK: 4 – European: 32.' Cade said and quickly moved away from Zeva.

'That's size 6 in Australia. She has a beautiful body shape. She's all curvy and full.' Jen smiled knowingly when Cade started scratching the back of his head, looking nervous and flustered. She shuffled through clothes with a smirk on her face. 'Here, these are all size 6 tops. Choose whatever you think she'll like. Or do you want me to show you girly dresses and blouses?' She grinned, devilishly.

'No, I don't think she looks that much of a girly-girl. She would look good in clothes that Mom wears. Black leather and jeans and tight tops.' Cade belatedly realised he had made a crucial mistake. Jen was laughing at him now. Shit, why the hell should he dress Zeva up in his favourite type of clothes for a girl? She could wear whatever, clothes were clothes. She just needed something to cover her up.

'You're just like your Dad.' Jen reached out and squeezed his shoulder. 'Wait here. I'll be back. I have clothes like that in her size but no girls ever want them. You're Mom is the only biker chick here. But her size is too big for her. Smaller sizes are in the store room.' Jen left before he could take it back and tell her, he'd take any tops and pants. And get the hell out of there. This was seriously turning out to be the nightmare he had been dreading. At least, no one was there to watch him make a fool of himself. But he had the uneasy feeling that everyone was going to find out anyway.

Jen was taking ages. Cade got bored with no one to talk to. He decided to test out her reaction to him again. He placed a hand on her back and moved it up on her neck. Her head fell forward and he heard the same animalistic sound coming from her. He felt her body vibrate under his touch and was amazed to feel something wake deep inside in his instincts. His body vibrated in response. He was about to caress her neck when he was stopped by the light sound of approaching footsteps. He withdrew his hand from Zeva's neck and stood at attention. Jen came through the door carrying a massive box.

'Here, take all of these clothes. They are all in her size. If she's a size 6 in tops then she'll be size 8 in pants. But you're Mom wears tight stuff which is always one size down.' Cade gave her a confused look. 'Trust me. This will all be okay for her. She'll look gorgeous in these clothes.' She handed him the box with a wink.

'Whatever.' Cade shrugged. 'Is there a jacket in there somewhere?' Cade asked, remembering his mother's instructions.

'Yeah. A black leather jacket.'

'Underwear?' Cade willed the answer to be a yes.

'No. I don't do underwear. There are underwear shops in the mall, go there.' Jen huffed out and gave him a sympathetic look when he made a disappointed face.

Cade paid for the box full of clothes and then carried it out with him. He was relieved to see that Zeva was following him without him needing to hold her hand. It would've been awkward. The box was heavy. He needed both hands to lift it. He couldn't possibly hold her hand too. He stopped in front of the only underwear shop which didn't have pornographic images up in front. He didn't understand the transgenics' lack of modesty. The transgenics never cared about nudity but he just felt wrong taking her in a shop full of underwear and pictures of nearly naked women. He was like his Mom in that respect. He liked his privacy and hated it if someone invaded it. And, he didn't want her to feel uncomfortable despite knowing she wouldn't understand anyway.

'Come on, let's get you some underwear.' Cade said, feeling resigned to his fate. Hell, this was going to be so embarrassing.

To his surprise, the shop's owner was the panther-like female who didn't even need to wear any clothes herself; she looked so much like the animal.

'Hey, Par, didn't know you had a shop.' Cade said in a way of greeting. He knew her linguistic skills weren't great. She was a very private transgenic. At least, she wouldn't talk about his little shopping experience.

'What do you want, Cade?' Par asked.

Cade knew she wasn't trying to be impolite. She just didn't know how else to communicate. 'We need to buy some underwear for Zeva.' He pointed at Zeva.

'The silent girl?'

Cade nodded, feeling angry. Why did everyone keep asking him that, when they already knew the answer. They were treating her like some freak of the nation and it irked him. He had been wrong about Par. It seemed she was a gossip too. But Par proved his latest belief wrong when she gasped.

'She has strong animal instincts. I can tell because I have more animal in me. I recognise her. I feel she is a strong Alpha. If she pulled her rank, she may be the strongest in your generation.' Par moved closer to Zeva and growled lowly in her throat.

Cade looked on in awe as Zeva's body language changed. Her ears perked up and she took on a defensive stance. Her blue eyes glowed becoming darker. 'Wow.' He exclaimed, not realising he had said it out loud.

'Yeah, I know. I just threatened her status and she instinctively pulled rank.' Par smiled. 'Anyways, I will show you things for her. I don't know size. I need to measure.' She went over to a table and came back with a measuring tape. She was about to touch Zeva to measure her when Cade stopped her.

'She doesn't let anyone touch her unless they are pack.' He stated flatly. For some reason unknown to him, he didn't want anyone to touch her anyway. This whole thing, these feelings he kept feeling were confusing and irrational.

'I just accepted her as an Alpha. Her instincts recognised me. She won't mind me doing my job.' Par started taking the measurements. 'Okay. All finished. I will show things of her size. Do you want night clothes? I sell them.' Par said, fluffing the hair of her long tail.

'Yeah, okay.' Cade shrugged. He assumed she would need night dresses. His sisters wore them.

After picking out over a dozen matching sets of black-laced and red underwear, which he would swear if someone asked him, he didn't buy because he found sexy, five black night dresses of different designs, and different coloured pairs of socks, he took her to the last shop they needed to go to. He hadn't seen anyone from school so far. He was looking forward to quickly buying shoes for her and getting the hell out of there before he ran out of his luck. But that wasn't to be.

Coming out of the shoe shop where he bought her a pair of Nike running shoes and black leather biker boots, just like his own shoes but in female versions, he ran into a group of boys from school who had a day off like him because of the mission.

'Hey, Cade. What's up? You look busy.' Reul greeted him. And the other four boys simply nodded.

'Yeah, Mom and Dad were busy. Told me to run some errands since I was home getting bored.' Cade replied.

'Are you babysitting for your new sister? And, are those all for her?' Reul pointed at the box and five bags Cade was carrying awkwardly in his arms.

Cade didn't know why but he didn't like the thought of Zeva as his sister. 'She's not my sister. She's my pack.' He breathed out.

'Cade, did you just shop for a girl?' Zeus asked. The black-haired Emo-looking boy standing beside Reul looked at Cade wide-eyed as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

'We've gotta go now. I'll see you later.' He warningly glared at the boys before leaving.

Cade opened the door to their home and let her in. He carried her things into her room. He couldn't smell her own scent in the room but instead the same wrong smell that came off her. He had the urge to smell her unique feminine scent. He felt the need to know how she smelt. She had followed him into her room.

'Zeva, I think you should take a shower or a bath before getting into some new clothes.' He didn't want her to mess her clothes up with the dried blood. 'I guess you'll have to wait until the girls or Mom gets back. Or can you do it yourself?' She didn't respond; he didn't expect her to.

He called his parents at Command. His Dad picked up and laughed at him for quiet a long time for what had happened at Jen's. Apparently, Jen had decided to call up his parents and tell them what happened.

'I'm never going to shop with a girl again.' Cade grumbled in the phone.

'Count yourself lucky that you had to go with a girl who didn't argue with you about clothes or didn't take ages picking out stuff. If you went with Max or the girls, you'd know what I mean.' Alec pointed out in a remorseful tone. It was evident, he wanted Zeva to be able to argue and pick out her own clothes.

'I need to talk to Mom.' Cade heard his Dad pass the phone to his Mom. Though, he knew they could both hear him as clearly as each other, he felt he had to say it to her. 'Hey, Mom, shopping is done.'

'Oh, baby, I love you so much. I know you didn't want to do this. Thanks, baby. Promise, I'll make it up to you.' Max gushed out.

'Whatever. Mom, we have a problem. She's shut her human side down. She's purely operating on instincts. I saw, her body has bruises. She was hurt, Mom. Her top was covered in blood when I took her sweatshirt off. I've told her to wait for you then you can help her wash up. I thought I'd tell you.' Cade let out a breath he was holding.

'Cade, how do you know she is using her animal side?' Max inquired. She saw Alec nod as he thought about something. She had a feeling he knew.

'I felt it. And anyway I just know. She's totally acting like an animal. She can't do anything herself but she does follow basic instructions if she understands them.' Cade explained.

'Okay, Cade. You might be right. We'll talk about this later. For the moment, stay with her and help her. She might really be hurt. She's your pack, Cade. Help her, okay? It's your responsibility.' Max exchanged looks with a concerned Alec.

'I've already been humiliated, what else do you want me to do?' Cade felt aggravated. He was supposed to be having a relaxing day off school.

'I know and I'm sorry for how you feel but you need to help her. If she's hurt, then she might be suffering in silence. I need you to look after her. Fill the bath-tub with warm water and help her get in it. Tell her to wash up and if she doesn't understand, show her what to do. After she's cleaned up, I want you to check her for any open cuts or any wounds that could give her problems. Patch her up if you see any. When you've done that, tell her to get into some fresh new clothes.' Max paused. 'Can you do that for me?' She asked.

Cade looked at Zeva who was sat on a couch in the living room, staring blankly ahead. He knew that she wouldn't show it if she was in pain because she was incapable of doing so. 'Okay, Mom. I'll take care of her.'

'That's my boy. Love you, baby. I'll see you later.' Max put the phone down.

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**It would be nice if you guys told me what you think...I needed to ask, do you like how i'm writing this or would you prefer it if i try to include more M/A scenes????**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N ; Thanks guys to those of you who reviewed…Keep them coming I love to hear from you…**

**A question was raised by a non-member /Subb/ as to why I have placed Max and Alec in the category? Well, I don't think it's misleading because I make myself clear in the story title and the summary that this is a story about the next generation…They are placed in the category because the story involves their family and they have a part to play in the story too…It's their nation and their family, after all… **

Chapter 9 –

Alec looked at Max with a horrified look adorning his face. 'Maxie, what have you done?'

'What?' Max asked impatiently as she shredded some documents in the paper-shredding machine.

'You just asked Cade to help Zeva have a bath.' Alec leaned forward in his chair, worried.

They were both currently working in their office at Command, sorting out supply lists and other such documents. Alec saw Max pause and bite her lip as she mulled over something.

'Alec, I trust him. He won't take advantage of the situation. His instincts will be telling him to protect her and make her feel better. You should know that better than anyone. I could've gone to do it myself but there's a lot of work here and he needs to learn how to look after family. She's part of his family now.' Max resumed her task.

'I trust him too but this isn't right. She may be our pack and family now but she isn't related to him by blood.' Alec argued. He felt uncomfortable with the thought of his new daughter getting help like that without her own consent.

'Instincts are stronger than blood, Alec. You're the one who told me that once. You know, once someone becomes pack in our species we mean it in every way and forever.' Max gave him a look that dared him to disagree but he couldn't.

'You're right.' Alec let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He just hoped his son didn't let him down.

Cade panicked when he realised what he had just agreed to. Had his Mom gone mad? She knew he slept around, that he was a horny bastard when it came to pretty girls. Yet, she was willing to trust him to look after a defenceless 15 yr old girl who wouldn't even be able to tell anyone anything if he took advantage of her vulnerability.

Cade was happy that his parents' trust in him was absolute but it also scared him. He never wanted to lose it. He was determined to not let his parents down. They were right, she was pack now. It was his duty to look after her.

He went to the bathroom and filled the tub with warm water as his Mom had instructed. After the tub was full, he added his sisters' bubble bath shampoo to the water. He then went to her and motioned for her to follow him. She followed him robotically into the bathroom and stood, waiting for further instructions.

'Zeva, take your clothes off and get in the bath.' She didn't move. He gave up on the easy solution and resigned himself to the task his mother had set him.

Cade tried to stay detached from what he was doing, it wasn't easy. However, somehow he managed to undress her without staring at her body. He didn't want to take advantage of the situation and get a free-view of her body. He left her underwear on. Carrying her bridal-style, he gently lowered her down in the soapy scented warm water. Immersing her in the water from shoulders to toes, he knelt by the tub and quickly got rid of her underwear. He silently thanked the person who had invented the formula for bubble baths because he couldn't see any part of her body through all the bubbles. He grabbed his sisters' wash-cloth and gently moved it across her body in fast strokes. He kept his eyes trained on her face. He quickly washed her body with the cloth, making sure he didn't touch her. Washing the hair was easier because he didn't have to think about his actions. She hardly moved in all that time. Finally, he was satisfied that she was clean enough. So, he got up and grabbed a clean spare towel from the storage cupboard. Keeping his eyes above her shoulders, he pulled her up in a standing position andwrapped the towel around her. He was relieved to see it at least was big enough to cover her ass. Then, he carried her to her room and sat her down on her bed.

'Right, what do you want to wear?' The silence was killing him. He wanted to use talking as a diversion. His feelings towards her were all confused. He didn't know why but he kept thinking that this hadn't been like him looking after a pack member but something more, something intimate. The way he was feeling now, he had never felt like this before. This girl made him feel different and he didn't understand why that was the case. He didn't even know her.

He got a set of matching black girl boxers and bra and handed it to her to wear. When she didn't respond, he snatched back the underwear from her hands and then performed the excruciating task himself. He bunched her towel and held it in place with a knot before reaching under her towel to pull her boxers up and her bra down. He couldn't get over that fact that he had just given a girl, same age as him, a bath and was now dressing her up without anything sexual happening between them. He had never thought he had it in him to resist a gorgeous legit girl. 'Okay, now I'll check your injuries. You don't mind, do you? I might need to touch you on your body. If you don't like me feeling you up, then you'll just have to kick my ass.' He tried to use humour to diffuse the tension in the air.

Cade got rid of the towel and made quick work of checking her for injuries. When he was satisfied that she was clean with just bruises adorning her body and no cuts, he opened the clothes box and took out the first top and pants that came in his hands. He quickly dressed her up in the black vest top and tight black jeans and decided to leave the shoes and socks because she wasn't going anywhere. 'Come on, let's go and eat something.' She followed him in the kitchen and he motioned for her to sit on a stool at the kitchen counter. He then started preparing lunch for them to eat.

After lunch, he moved to the living room and decided to play on his games console. Ryan had called him to tell him that he couldn't hang out because he was going with his Dad to get painting things for Joshua from the nearest Australian town. Cade didn't want to hang-out with anyone else and his Mom had told him to stay with her. So, he decided it was time to get on the next level in his latest game, 'Need for Speed'. He was grateful of the fact that Dalton took his job of providing their entertainment seriously otherwise he would've been bored out of his mind.

Zeva had followed him after lunch and sat beside him, staring blankly at the images on the tele. He got into his game and totally forgot about the silent presence beside him. He was only brought back out of his euphoric trance-like state of playing the game, when his family came home.

Alec walked in his home to find a sleeping Zeva curled up beside an excited Cade. Cade was oblivious to everything around him as he continued to play on his games console. A brilliant idea formed in his head. He sneaked up behind Cade and smacked him on his head.

'What the hell?' Cade jumped, startled. He subconciously gave Zeva a once-over to see if she was alright.

'Where are your instincts, Cade? You should've known we're here.' Alec scoffed.

'You're pack, Dad.' Cade was angry. His Dad had scared the hell out of him.

'I could've been a shapeshifter. Seriously, Cade, Dean would be disappointed in your lack of instincts.' Alec beamed at his son.

Max came into the living room, looking happy for a change. 'Alec, leave my baby alone. Otherwise, I will kick your sorry ass so bad it'll hurt for a month.'

'You already kill me softly every night.' Alec put his hand on his heart and winked seductively at Max.

'Oh, please.' Cade made an annoyed bitch-face. It was great that his parents loved each other but he didn't want to hear them flirting about spanking or other such stuff.

Max's lips twitched at Alec's behaviour. She did find it sexy when he said things like that but now wasn't the time or place. 'Cade?'

'Yes, Mom?'

'I've been into Zeva's room and I've seen the things you bought her. You have great taste just like me. Everything's perfect. I see you've helped her have a bath too. I'll change her sheets so they won't smell of those dirty clothes she slept in last night. She needs to be surrounded with our scents now.' She looked pointedly at the sleeping beauty on the couch beside her son.

'I think she already recognises my scent. She doesn't tense up when I touch her anymore. I didn't smell fear or anger when I helped her in the bath. I did everything you said, Mom. I also made her lunch when I made my own food. I've been here with her, all day.' Cade saved his game status and switched the console off. 'I feel tired. I'm gonna go and take a nap. Wake me for Dinner.' Before he left, Max gave him a hug and kiss, telling him how much she loved him and how he was such a good boy. He lapped up the praise because he loved having his ego massaged. On the way to his room, he received two more hugs from his little sisters who decided they were feeling generous.

Alec followed Max into the kitchen and sat down on a stool. Max started preparing for dinner after handing Alec his bottle of scotch and a glass. Alec levelled a thoughtful look her way, making her ask. 'What's on your mind?'

Alec looked over his shoulder to make sure Zeva was still asleep. 'I think Cade's instincts have become involved with Zeva.' He saw Max shrug and realised she didn't understand his meaning.

'Well, that's good, isn't it? She's his pack.' Max started chopping the onions, rather aggressively.

Alec loved watching his Maxie cook because she wasn't so good at it and she worked the ingredients as if she was murdering them. That was why Cade or Alec himself did most of the cooking in their house. He saw her butchering the onions and stifled a laugh. He cleared his throat and concentrated on their conversation. 'Yeah, it's good. But it's more than that.'

'What are you trying to say, Alec? Just spit it out.' Max stopped her chopping and gave him a serious look.

'You mean you can't tell?' Alec prolonged the conversation, wanting to piss her off.

'What?' Max asked, exasperated.

'I should've figured.' Alec grinned when he heard her angry growl and look like she was about to explode.

'Alec, if you don't tell me right now, I swear you won't be able to sit on your ass for a year.' Max looked furious.

'What I mean when I say that it's more than that, is, I believe Cade is attracted to her.' Alec confessed.

'Well, that's not a surprise. He's attracted to every good-looking girl in Deania.' Max sneered and rolled her eyes.

'No, the way he feels for her is different. I'm an Alpha. I can tell. All the other girls are meaningless to him but she isn't. He cares about her. He was reacting to her differently even before we made her our pack member. She brings out the Alpha in him. I've snuck up on him countless times before and he's never reacted the way he did today. He was instinctively protecting her whilst she slept and he didn't even know about it himself.' Alec took a long swig of his drink.

'Do you think he's aware?' Max asked as she stirred the chopped vegetables after adding them to the rice.

'If you're asking about the attraction, then no he isn't aware. I think he's confused.' Alec replied, honestly. He knew only too well how Cade might be feeling. Many years ago, he had felt different towards a female too when she had treated him differently than other females did. She had been his assigned breeding partner then and now was his mate, Max.

'You know Alec, I was thinking about Zeva. Who are we gonna leave her with tomorrow? We can't send her to school yet and we can't leave her at home alone. She won't be comfortable with Joshua or anyone else, for that matter.' Max took the plates and glasses out of the cupboard.

'I guess we'll have to take her to Command with us until she's better. We'll send her school when she starts showing signs of her human side being awake. Cade is right, you know. She is probably functioning on her basic instincts.' Alec helped Max carry the dishes and glasses to the dining table.

'Yeah, I agree.' Max said in an annoyed tone as if the very thought of agreeing with Alec was insane.

Alec laughed at her. 'Maxie, it isn't a bad thing that you agree with me sometimes.' He moved close to her and put his arms around her waist. He started trailing passionate kisses from her temple to her shoulder, making her moan in pleasure.

'You ass.' She breathed out between moans.

'I know you love it.' He bit her earlobe.

'The only thing I love.' Max smiled, leaning her back against her mate.

'Sure.' Alec scoffed and was about to prove his point when Mila skipped into the room. The little kid saw her parents in a compromising position and formed a 'O' and started to back-track. Alec stopped her. 'Mila, where are you going, princess?'

'Daddy, you and Mommy are all kissey-kissey so I'll go.' Mila played with the hem of her skirt.

'No, princess. Mommy and I are finished here. We were just gonna call you all for dinner. Wash your hands and sit down.' Alec smiled at his daughter and ruffled her hair as she came within his reach. 'I'll go and call the others and wake Zeva.' Alec said to Max and before she could reply, he gave her a quick kiss which made Mila giggle, and left.

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**Reviews are love...i don't even mind if someone tells me the story sucks ;)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N ; 68 hits for last chapter and only 1 review *starts to sob*……thanks to my faithful reviewer maron771121 for actually telling me her opinion….**

Chapter 10 –

Over a week had passed since Zeva had joined their pack. Alec and Max had been taking her to Command with them whilst the kids were at school. And then dropping her off home when they knew someone would be at home. They had hoped she would show signs of an improvement but she was the same as before. They were beginning to lose all hope when something happened which brought about a change in her.

One night, Cade got home late, to find everyone sleeping. It wasn't such a big deal. He always got in late when he went out with his friends. His parents never waited up for him because they always knew where he was and they didn't mind him staying out till late. There was no danger in Deania anyway.

He moved about the house silently because he didn't want to disturb anyone. He knew their instincts wouldn't wake them because he was pack but two of his family members, his Mom and Lima, were light-sleepers if they ever slept in the first place.

Having gotten ready for bed, he was about to get into bed when he got a whiff of the smell of tears. He left his room to go and see who was crying. He checked his sisters first but they were both sleeping soundlessly. He knew the smell hadn't come from his parents' room because they weren't really the type to cry unless a situation was really bad. That left only one other person in the house. He quickly made his way to Zeva's room to check on her.

Cade involuntarily gasped when he got into her room. The smell of her fear and tears was so strong it momentarily left him breathless. He shut the door behind him to keep the smell from getting to the other pack members. As he approached her bed, he could see she wasn't awake. She was dreaming in her sleep. Tears were falling from her eyes and she was tossing her head restlessly as if an invisible force was hurting her.

Cade sat beside her. Not knowing what else to do, he started to try to wake her up. When his hands touched her shoulders, she arched and hissed in pain. 'Zeva, wake up. It's only me. You're safe.' He buried his head in the crook of her neck and nuzzled it. He felt a change in her. Suddenly, she sat up looking startled. He was knocked back by the force of her movement as he had been practically glued to her neck.

For the first time since her world fell apart, Zeva felt herself come out of the white place she was hiding herself in. A place where there was no feeling, no pain and no thought. She felt something on her neck. It felt hot. Just like the lava. No, she wasn't safe. It was still hot. The lava was gonna come get her like it took all the things she loved in the world. She struggled to move away from the heat. It was moving on her neck. She pushed at it, willing it to go away. Finally, she wasn't hot anymore.

He felt embarrassed at the way she was looking at him as if he had all the answers. 'Zeva, you had a bad dream. I came to check on you. Erm…you'll be okay now. Just remember you're home, nothing can hurt you. Okay, I should go now.' He said, awkwardly. He wanted to comfort her by holding her but like hell, was he going to have this whole 'chick-flick moment', as his Uncle Dean liked to call it, with her.

Zeva was okay to retreat back into her safe room. But before she could, she heard a voice. She was sure she had heard this voice before. She followed the voice to find the way, to find the source. She heard the voice and believed what was being said. Then she saw the source of the voice for the first time.

She looked at him with her soulful oceanic orbs for eyes and nodded, looking disappointed. Cade didn't pay attention to the significance of the action at first but his brain quickly processed what had just happened. Had she understood him?

Zeva looked at the boy and didn't feel threatened, instead she felt safe. He was about to leave her. Her fear returned. No, she couldn't go back again. She grabbed his arm in panic. She tried to say something but her throat had a lump in it. She couldn't talk around it. Why couldn't she talk?

Cade was about to get up when she grabbed his arm. He looked at her, trying to figure out what was happening. The needy look in her eyes said it all. 'You want me to stay?' He hesitated before asking. She simply nodded and moved away to make room for him. What the hell? Had she just offered him a place in the bed beside her? It wasn't a big deal to share a bed with your family, in Deania. He had done it a lot of times, at some point in his life, with all his pack members. However, she was different. She wasn't his sister. 'Are you sure you'll be comfortable?' He hoped she changed her mind. He didn't want to sleep with her. The needy look was replaced by a panicked look. He sighed in exhaustion. He felt tired. He was ready to drop-dead anyway so he just gave up and got in the bed beside her. If it was going to make her feel safe, then it wasn't really a bad thing.

An hour passed with Cade trying his best to fall sleep without so much as moving. It was driving him crazy to have her so close yet so far. He watched Zeva as she slept peacefully. She had immediately fallen asleep when she was sure that he wouldn't leave her. For the past few minutes, Cade had the insane urge to spoon himself with her and fill his nose with her scent which thankfully was now her own unique scent rather than the overpowering smell of death which initially had mingled with it. After a number of failed attempts to get to sleep, he finally gave into his urge and pulled her against him in his arms and buried his nose in her neck. She instinctively moved closer to him and he spooned himself with her. The pleasure he felt, just by holding her, made him drowsy and put him to sleep.

The next morning, Max went around the house waking everyone up as usual. She didn't think much of it when she saw her son's bedroom empty. Sometimes, Cade left early for school, before others got up. It wasn't unusual. So, when she went to wake Zeva up and help her get ready, she wasn't expecting to find her son holding the new family member in his arms as they slept in an intimate position.

'Cade!' Max yelled. 'What the hell are you doing?' Max rolled her eyes when Cade tightened his arms around Zeva, subconsciously.

Cade and Zeva stirred simultaneously. Cade nuzzled Zeva's neck and then grudgingly pulled away.

'Mom?' He managed to croak out.

Max followed Cade with her eyes as he got out of Zeva's bed and tried to make a bee-line for the door. 'Erm, not so easy. Cade, why were you sleeping with Zeva? And in just your boxers?' She gritted out. 'Hmm?'

Alec came through the door with a questioning look marring his face. 'Maxie, what are you yelling for?' He then turned to ask his son. 'Cade, what's this about?' He looked at his half-naked son, up and down and glared at him for good measure. He knew Max wouldn't be mad at Cade unless it was a serious issue. Cade was her favourite, her golden mama's boy.

Cade let out a long-suffering sigh and threw his hands in the air in surrender. 'This isn't a big deal. I don't know why Mom's so worked up about it. I only shared the bed with her. It's not like something happened.'

'What? You did what?' Alec fumed. 'Why?' He knew his son was into girls way too much for his young age but he couldn't believe he would take advantage of a defenceless girl, just for kicks. He panicked when he remembered that Cade had helped Zeva in the bath. Had his son took advantage of her, thinking she couldn't tell anyone? Shit, he should've never let Max sway him into believing it was okay. Zeva couldn't even tell them if Cade had indeed done something.

As if reading his father's thoughts, Cade shook his head. 'Dad, relax. I swear I didn't do anything to her. I was sleeping here because she wanted me to stay. I came home late and got ready to go to bed when I smelt intense fear and tears. I checked the girls' room but they were sleep and then I figured it couldn't be either of you so I went to check on her. She was having a bad dream so I woke her up and told her she was with pack and safe. She responded. I was about to leave but she grabbed my arm.' Cade explained in a detached tone. 'She wanted me to stay.' He repeated.

'How do you know?' Max was feeling wary.

'She grabbed my arm. And, I asked her. Don't you guys get it? She can understand. She understood me. She was responding to me using her human side. She's back, I can feel it.' Cade looked over at the dishevelled Zeva who was sat cross-legged on the bed. She gave him a shy smile. He couldn't help himself, he smiled back. He turned back to his parents and saw them glaring at him. He felt himself go red under the scrutiny.

Max moved over to Zeva and tried to test her son's claims. 'Hey, honey. How are you feeling?' Zeva shrugged at her in answer. 'Do you know what happened to you?' The little girl nodded and tears formed in her eyes. Max felt Alec come and sit beside her. She knew he was more experienced in talks like these because he had been through similar experiences.

'Hey, sweetheart. Can I ask you about something, if you don't mind?' Alec took hold of Zeva's hand.

Max wasn't surprised to hear the softness in Alec's tone and to see how he was gently holding the little girl's hand. However, she was amazed by Zeva's reaction. Zeva crawled into Alec's lap and rested her head on his chest.

'Zeva, look at me.' Alec lifted her chin up so he could look into the blue oceanic orbs. 'Zeva, are you out of the white room, the room where you don't feel anything, kid?' She nodded in response, a single stray tear falling out of her eye. Alec's throat constricted. He wiped the tear away and resumed his questioning. 'Do you remember what happened?' Alec's nose filled with the scent of fear as she vigorously shook her head, up and down. 'Thanks, kiddo, for telling me. We are your family now. You don't have to be scared anymore. You're safe with us. I am your Daddy, this is your Mommy and that's Cade.' He finally pointed at the figure still standing in the doorway looking nervous. 'Okay?' Alec smiled at her. Zeva smiled back at him. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek. 'Right, Maxie, what say we send Zeva to school with Cade today? Would you like to go school, Zeva?' She nodded, enthusiastically and scrambled off Alec's lap.

Zeva hugged Max getting into her lap and nuzzled her neck before looking hopefully at her. Max laughed. 'You're already giving me the puppy eyes and pout? Okay, you can go to school. You want help getting ready?' Max heart filled with joy when Zeva gave her an indignant shake of head. 'I'm so happy you're getting back to your old self. Get ready, kiddo. I suggest you run it to the bathroom before Cade, otherwise he won't leave you any hot water.' Max said and saw Zeva jump off her lap. Grabbing her towel, she zoomed out of the room.

Max left the room followed by Alec. Before leaving, Alec playfully punched his son on the shoulder and said. 'Cade, shouldn't you be getting ready for school? What are you still doing here?' He grinned at the mortified look on his son's face.

Alec and Max decided it was best if they both went to enrol Zeva at Cade's school. They dropped Mila and Lima off at Biggs' house so they could go to school with Lyla and Kyla. Then, they walked with Zeva to the high school.

There were three schools in the nation. The first was elementary for under 6yr olds, then the kids moved onto secondary for ages 7 to 13 and finally, the high school which catered to 14 to 16 yr old kids educational and training needs.

Cade practically ran out of the house like a bat out of hell at the realisation that he might need to walk to school with his parents. He loved his parents and everyone knew who they were but he was past the age of walking with them to school. He had already lost a lot of self-esteem when he was caught shopping with a girl by Reul and his gang, he didn't need them adding to the insults. He had a reputation to maintain.

Ryan had called him to give him the heads-up to the situation back at school. Reul and his boys had already told most of the school about the shopping trip in such a short time. Already, everyone was talking about Cade and his shopping spree. Ryan had told Cade to avoid getting in school early and rather arriving on time for their first class. Cade had agreed with Ryan's suggestion and had walked into class just seconds before their biological systems teacher walked in.

Deania's schools operated in a very different way compared to ordinary schools. The high school had three big gym size classrooms. The 14 yr old kids were all in one room, the 15 yr olds in another and the third room had all the 16 yr olds. It didn't matter what you were, you were put in the class which had kids the same age as you. The teachers got rotated around depending on their expertise in a subject every hour. The elementary and secondary school had similar structures and operated in the same way.

Cade got in the chair-desk combo in front of Ryan and relaxed. He was happy to have a friend like Ryan who always had his back. They had always looked out for each other since they were babies. It had helped that their Dads were best friends; which meant they saw each other all the time. They had practically been inseparable from an early age. He didn't know what he'd do without his best friend.

The teacher began her usual boring lecture sending half the class into doing other things to entertain themselves. The students became alive again only when the school's head mistress, Beato, came in and motioned for the biology teacher to stop her lecture.

'Morning, kids. I am sure you are aware we have new children who will be joining us at our schools. Most kids have already been placed in classes but we had one kid who hadn't joined us in our quest for personal development and improvement. Today, I am happy to announce that she is well enough to join you students in your studies.' Beato looked at the door and signalled for someone to come in. Everyone perked up excitedly when they saw Alec walk in followed by Max, and the little shy girl hiding behind Max's legs. 'Boys and girls, this is Zeva. Be nice to her. She doesn't speak but she understands everything.' Beato gave the biology teacher some instructions about Zeva and then left using the excuse of her workload.

Taking turns, Alec and Max hugged and kissed their new daughter and then left after telling Cade to look out for her and to walk her to Cece's after school.

To Cade's horror, the biology teacher, Lari, told the guy sitting in front of him to move so Zeva could sit near him instead. He passed the entire school day literally watching her back. And passing notes to Ryan about how pissed he was at his family and the new family member. After school, Cade and Ryan walked her to Ryan's home and then left to go to Cade's place. He was glad that he at least hadn't had any insults thrown at him by anyone and no one had even acknowledged her presence, instead insisting on pretending she didn't exist.

'You know, Cade, I'm surprised no one made any jokes about your little situation.' Ryan was sat on the kitchen counter drinking a Coke. 'And, everyone pretended Zeva wasn't there.'

'Yeah, I'm surprised too. Maybe, it's just I'm so awesome they wouldn't dare.' Cade said, rummaging through the cupboards to look for all his favourite snacks. Where the hell did his parents hide all those awesome foods? 'Where the fuck do they hide all the food?' He fumed.

'Where did she go at break and lunch time?' Ryan wondered out loud.

'How the fuck am I supposed to know where she went? But don't tell Dad or Mom. They'll kill me. They'll start giving me lectures about protecting my pack.' Cade rolled his eyes. He huffed out, annoyed, when he opened another cupboard full of drinks. Seriously, his Dad's obsession with all types of drinks was scary.

Ryan jumped off the counter and opened a small drawer which was hiding a massive cupboard inside its small exterior. 'Chill, dude. Have I ever told them anything? I was just wondering cause she wasn't in the hall which means she didn't eat lunch.'

'She's probably dieting.' Cade shrugged, avoiding Ryan's stare. He looked in the cupboard and found it was a hidden storage place for all the awesome snacks he loved. 'How did you…' Cade began but was cut off by Ryan grinning stupidly and pointing to his nose.

'Our noses aren't just for nuzzling each others' necks, you know.' Ryan wiggled his eyebrows and winked, knowingly.

Cade felt himself go red. He knew what Ryan was talking about. Zeva had nuzzled his neck when he had dropped her off at Ryan's and instinctively, without thinking, he had returned the favour. He had instantly regretted it when he had seen the devilish smirk on his best friend's face. 'Shut up, bitch.'

'Whatever, jerk.' Ryan came out with his usual reply. 'I don't see your problem in admitting you like her.' Ryan grabbed a packet of crisps and went to sit on a couch in the living room.

Cade was furious. No one told him how he felt, his feelings were his, no one understood them better than him. 'No, I don't. I hate her.'

Ryan smiled mischievously. 'There's a fine line between hate and love. At least, you admit you feel something for her.'

'Damn it, I have a girl as my best friend. You always wanna talk about feelings.' Cade glared at Ryan as he sat beside him. He opened his bag of peanuts and munched on them, trying to take out his anger on them. 'I don't have any feelings for Zeva. I don't care what you think because I know I don't. I hate her. I wish she wasn't here. In fact, I wish she didn't exist.' He didn't know why but he felt like killing himself for saying such harsh things about her.

'Zeva? You were talking about Zeva?' Ryan faked shock. He knew they had been talking about Zeva but he also knew that Cade was tight-lipped when it came to his actual feelings and there was only one way to get the truth out of him. And that was by tricking him. After 15 yrs of perfecting the art, it was now second nature to Ryan.

'Well, weren't you?' Cade had a panicked look on his face. All Ryan could think was, mission accomplished. He knew this was the opening he needed.

'No. I was talking about that 16 yrs old leggy brunette who we haven't fucked yet but were planning on doing, if the mission hadn't come up. I was offering her to you because I thought you really liked her.' Ryan tried to keep a straight and serious face.

'You can have her. I don't want her.' Cade blurted out, uninterested.

'Well, that's obvious now. You've just made yourself quiet clear on who you do want.' Ryan saw Cade looking around as if looking for an exit so he could escape. Well, not so fast, buddy. 'I guess I can see why you like her. She is smokin' hot. Shame, she doesn't talk. I would like to hear that sweet little thing's accent. Europeans are supposed to have sexy accents.' Ryan heard Cade growl angrily low in his throat. Ryan decided to push it. 'But I guess we could work something out. It doesn't matter if she's quiet. Her looks compensate for that. Maybe, it'd be better. It would be a different experience.' Ryan tried to look offended when Cade grabbed his top in a death grip.

'Ryan, she's off limits. She's my pack. Don't you even dare think of her in that way or talk about her like that, ever again.' Cade snarled at him.

'Cade, why are you getting your panties in a bunch? I thought you hated her and wished her non-existence.' Ryan challenged.

'Well, I do. But that doesn't give anyone else the right to talk about her like that.' Cade replied, hotly. He saw red at the thought of any other male being with her. She was his, damn it. Oh man, what was wrong with him? He wasn't supposed to think that. He was going crazy. It was all her fault.

Ryan couldn't hold it in any longer, he burst out laughing. Cade gave him a confused look. 'Dude, you're so easy to crack. I knew you'd get all Alpha male on me if I talked about Zeva like that. You were so jealous. I can't believe you felt threatened. I was talking about Zeva all that time. No leggy brunette. You are so whipped, man. You want her bad. And, you know what's funny? You won't be able to seduce her like you do with other girls. She's different.' Ryan clutched his stomach as he started laughing again.

Cade huffed. 'No, I'm not whipped, damn it.' He murmured, feeling uncertain. No, he wasn't whipped. She was pack. The animal inside him was just protecting what was theirs. But she wasn't his, was she? This was all so confusing. It was all that infuriating blue-eyed female's fault. He was the butt of jokes because of her. Usually, Ryan would be the first to deny Cade would ever have feelings for any girl and today, he was the one who was telling him he was whipped. This was all her fault.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 –

Slowly but surely, Zeva was getting better. She still couldn't talk but she could feel again and she wasn't hiding away anymore. She tried to make up for her inability to communicate by trying to enjoy and be grateful for what she had. She was still sad for the things she had lost in the volcanic eruption including her family but her new parents told her that if she didn't live her life in happiness then her dead parents would be very sad. And, she didn't want that to happen. She wanted her deceased parents to be proud of her.

Zeva liked her new family. They were really nice to her, especially her new parents and sisters. She didn't know why but Cade didn't seem to like her. He tried his best to avoid her. She couldn't tell anyone this but due to him not caring much about her, she had to spend breaks and lunchtime hiding in their school's library because she was being bullied by some males. She hoped Cade didn't know because if he knew then that meant he was letting it happen because he really did hate her. Zeva had never fought with a male before so she didn't know if she could and she wasn't prepared to try just yet. If she did fight back, she knew she wouldn't be able to tell anyone the reasons and her new family would probably hate her, thinking she was a trouble-causer. The males couldn't say anything to her in class but at break and lunchtime, they had a perfect opportunity to bully her. So, she felt she had no choice but to hide away.

Two weeks passed with Cade not seeing Zeva at break or lunchtimes at school. He was worried at why she wouldn't show up. He knew she couldn't be getting her food anywhere else because she always seemed to be starving by the time they got home and no one had said anything about giving her any food. He decided to see what in hell she got up to in the time that others were busy eating or hanging out.

'Ryan?' Cade tried to talk around his mouthful of food. He leveled an amused look at his best friend who was sat opposite him as he leaned over his table in the school dinner hall.

'Yeah? What's up?' Ryan stuffed his mouth with a bunch of fries and started noisily chewing.

Cade saw some girls give them disgusted looks and smiled. It was funny how the girls thought that he and his friend had no table manners, yet would never say no to a dinner date with either . 'Zeva hasn't been showing for lunch for two weeks. I wanna know what's going on. Eat up fast because we are going to go and look for her. I need your nose, man.'

Ryan nodded and doubled his eating speed, which seemed impossible judging by the rate at which he was already consuming his food but Ryan managed it. Cade wasn't surprised in the least as he saw Ryan eating like a whale. He grinned at the thought. Oh yeah, his friend must definitely have some whale in his cocktail. Cade made quick work of his own lunch and then went over to the dinner counter and grabbed a bottle of juice and a box of sandwiches. 'Can I have a bag for these?' Cade asked one of the females who usually served them food. She gave him a bored look. After staring at him for a full minute, her gaze full of hositility, she gave up and finally nodded with a huff.

Having armed himself with a bag of food, Cade signalled for Ryan to follow him and left the dinner hall. Ryan was out of the hall and at his back in no time. Still chewing the last remnants of his dinner, he asked. 'Are those for me?' He raised an eyebrow, looking pointedly at the bag Cade was carrying.

'No, I grabbed some food for Zeva. Wherever she is, she'll be hungry.' Cade tried his best to sound un-caring. But, damn it, he did care. 'Why don't you start thinking up possibilities, huh?' Cade focused his friend's and his own attention back to the search. He didn't want Ryan to start talking about his so-called feelings that was all he talked about nowadays. Cade stealthily moved around in the corridors. He knew Ryan had a good chance of finding her because he was great at recon and search just like his Dad, Biggs.

'I reckon there's two places a female would go to be alone. Toilets or a quiet place.' Ryan said thoughtfully as he walked beside Cade. 'Personally, I don't think she spends all her time in the toilets, which leaves us the quiet place.'

'Well, there's no quiet place here.' Cade felt frustrated. Why did that female insist on being so damn difficult?

'There is one.' Ryan's face lit up when the realisation hit him.

'There is?' Cade was sceptical.

'The library. I'm sure we'll find her there. Come on, it's this way.' Ryan didn't stop for a response and started leading Cade to the school's library. Ryan knew Cade had never been to the library. Well, he had only been once himself when he had needed a place to fuck Sash. Reading wasn't something they would be seen doing even in death. It was believed to be un-cool. Kids always made fun of the geeks or the kids who read. Though, secretly he did read books, he'd never admit to it. And, he knew Cade was the same. It was better to pretend you didn't like those imaginary stories that ordinaries wrote so well.

Like Ryan had predicted, they did find Zeva in the library. She was huddled over a book in a corner of the room behind a bookshelf. Cade was furious. She had had him anxious over this. Just cause she was into books didn't give her the fucking right to make him worry. 'Zeva, what the hell are you doing here? Do you have any idea how worried I've been? Fuck this.' Cade seethed. Ryan put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down but it wasn't helping.

Zeva looked up at Cade who was giving her the dead-eye and she couldn't help it, she started crying. She hadn't meant to make him so angry. Why did he hate her so much? He always spoke to her in an angry tone. It wasn't her fault that his family had made her their pack. And, it wasn't her fault no one liked her in school because they thought she was a freak and defective.

Cade saw the tears and kicked himself mentally for being so harsh. He immediately hated himself for what he had just said to her. He had already realized a long time ago that she drove him crazy for some reason. He was well aware of his habit of sounding harsh whenever he spoke to her. He took a deep breath and then sat beside her on the floor. He mournfully looked at her profile. He had really hurt her this time. She always nuzzled his neck or touched him as a greeting when he came close to her. She always did it with all the pack. But today, she didn't move. She just carried on crying silently.

Cade reached out to touch her but she flinched at his touch. 'Hey, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that. It's just I was worried about you. Why don't you come to the dinner hall for lunch?' Cade tried to keep his tone soft. He moved closer and put his arm around her shoulder. He buried his nose in the crook of her neck. He smelt fear. The smell wasn't strong but it was enough for him to pull back and look in her big blue eyes. 'Zeva, what are you scared of?' Cade exchanged looks with Ryan who had been silently watching them.

Zeva panicked. She didn't know how to tell him about the males who called her freak and defective and threatened to hurt her in cruel ways.

Cade saw the look on her face and decided he hated it. He wanted to see her back to normal. Well, as normal as she could be. She was always so happy at home when she played with Mila and Lima or when she tried to get her way with his parents. However, happiness seemed to elude her at school. 'Look, what I brought you. You must be hungry. Eat up, okay?' He took out the sandwiches' box and juice bottle out of the bag and waited for her to grab it out of his hand like she did with others at home. She remained in the same position, not moving a muscle. Cade didn't know why but his heart was hurting. It felt like it was breaking. Not understanding the cause of his heartache, he dismissed the feeling, telling himself that he must've ate his food wrong. He took a sandwich out of the box and held it near her mouth. 'Eat.' She took a bite but he saw how hard it was for her to swallow. Silent tears kept falling down her beautiful face as he fed her.

Whilst Cade fed her, Zeva watched him and his expressions. It was hard to eat around the lump in her throat. She felt like she was going to choke but she managed it somehow. She willed herself to swallow for him. It was the first time he was showing her any care she wasn't going to make him think she was ungrateful.

Ryan watched from a table as his best friend took care of the girl he cared so much about. Ryan was sure that these new feelings terrified Cade. Cade seemed to be so scared of what he felt that he was adamant on proving his feelings wrong by pretending to hate Zeva. It would've been funny if she wasn't already hurt. Ryan had heard Max and Alec's love story a lot of times from his parents and others. It looked like Cade had inherited the denial gene from them. He was thankful his own parents had easily known that they belonged together. He would hate to act all angsty like Cade if he met a girl he felt different about. He could already see, this couple was gonna take some time in realizing how good they were together. He couldn't be wrong about them. They had so much chemistry. He could feel it, standing this far. Now wasn't the time to think of these things though. They needed to sort this thing out first. He had a feeling that she was hiding here for a reason. He got out of his lounging place when Cade got up and pulled her up with him.

'Come on, let's go.' Cade said.

'Wait.' Ryan wanted to resolve the issue once and for all. He didn't want Zeva to hide alone because she was scared of something. He knew Cade wasn't as perceptive as him and wouldn't figure it out as fast as him.

'What?' Cade asked, squeezing the small hand he was holding reassuringly. He gave Zeva a small smile. She didn't smile back. She had that blank look on her face that he had come to hate. It meant she was hurting and wanted to block her pain.

Ryan moved in front of Zeva and gave her his most dazzling smile. 'Zeva, why don't we sort this problem out today? I know you can't tell us what's wrong but you can write. I want you to write your problem. Why do you feel you have to hide away in here alone?' Ryan grabbed a pen and paper and handed it to her. She looked at it for a long minute before smiling and giving Ryan a hug. He was shocked to say the least but that was the moment he gained another sister. And, he was determined to protect her and make her happy.

Zeva couldn't believe it. She was so stupid. Why hadn't she thought of this? She couldn't speak but she could write. She had liked Ryan from the start but she hadn't been sure if he liked her like he liked Mila and Lima. And, it only seemed logical that he wouldn't like her because Cade hated her and he was his best friend, like his brother. But this showed that he cared. He wanted to know her problem so he could sort it out just like a brother would.

'_The guy called Reul called me a freak and defective. He had four other males with him. They are all in our class. They said that it was only a matter of time before they got the chance to make me more defective and to hurt me. Although I can fight females, I've never fought with boys and am not trained like your nation's kids are. The only thing I could think of was hiding away when I wasn't in class where Cade or you were because I knew no one would hurt me in class if my pack member was there. But I wasn't sure if Cade didn't already know that I was being bullied. He hates me so I thought even if he knew he wouldn't care. I didn't try to fight the boys myself because I didn't want anyone to think I am a trouble-causer. Everyone's been so nice to me. Mommy, Daddy, Mila, Lima, Cece, Biggs, Kyla, Lyla, Joshua and all the other nice people. I didn't want to disappoint anyone. I am sorry I caused you two so much trouble and made you worry.'_

Zeva handed the paper to Ryan to read and waited for their disappointed and agitated expressions which were sure to adorn their faces.

Cade moved closer to his friend to read the paper and choked on the lump that formed in his throat as he read what she had written. Without a second thought, he pulled her in his arms and started murmuring his apologies. 'I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I should've been looking after you like I'm supposed to.' He held her face in his hands to make eye-contact with her. A tear fell out her left eye and he wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. 'You don't have to be scared of any male anymore. I promise you, I won't let anyone hurt you. You don't have to hide here alone, Okay?' He caressed her cheek. She nodded at him in response.

Cade felt like crap. He couldn't believe his stupidity. He should've known something wasn't quite right when Reul and his gang hadn't said anything to him about her. If his parents found out about this, they would really be disappointed in him. He hadn't been paying any attention to her in school or he would've seen her fear, would've smelt it. He had been too busy eye-fucking other girls in class to care about her. And, what was worse, was she thought he hated her. Is that how badly he had really been treating her? Fuck that, everything was going to change starting now. If someone dared even look at her in the wrong way, they were going to have to have him to answer to.

Cade kept his word. Over the next few days, he was like Zeva's shadow. Staying at her side at all times whilst they were in school, he only left her when nature called and even then Ryan was with her. Although they noticed that she seemed much more relaxed and happy, both boys also realised that there were down-sides to their arrangement. Passing time with girls had become hard since they had started hanging out with her. The girls in school avoided talking to them or gave them angry looks. They knew the reason for the lack of girls following them around. However, they couldn't do anything about it. Cade couldn't just go back on his promise to Zeva and Ryan didn't want his best friend to suffer alone.

'Dude, this is crazy. Why don't the girls talk to us anymore? What's their problem, anyway?' Cade asked Ryan in an annoyed tone as he checked-out the girls in the hall. They were waiting by the girls' toilets for Zeva.

'I totally agree. I haven't scratched my itch for too long. Need some lovin'.' Ryan winked and smirked at the X5 and X6 girls, who passed them heading to or from the toilets, as he leaned against the wall by the door.

'It all started when we started hanging out with Zeva.' Cade couldn't help the accusatory tone. He glanced over at Ryan and gave a frustrated sigh. 'You know what? I think I'm gonna give her some lessons in self-defence. I'll train her and then we won't need to stay with her all the time. Yeah, that's it. I am definitely training her, starting today.' Cade resolved.

Later that day, Zeva was in high spirits. She happily bounced alongside Cade and Ryan as they all walked to Ryan's home after school. She had got her first review report for her performance in school. She had already read it but she couldn't wait to show it to her parents. All the teachers were happy with her performance and thought she was a genius, better than a lot of others in her class.

Zeva felt so grateful to be alive and well looked after. The boys had kept their word and hadn't allowed any male close to her. She felt nothing could go wrong in her life now. But as soon as they all got to Ryan's, Cade quashed her happiness. He told her that she had to head home with him rather than stay with the girls at Ryan's. She was devastated she couldn't play with the girls as she usually did until their parents came to pick them up. Ryan's sisters were so nice to her and her own sisters loved her too. She didn't understand why he was taking her home. Her parents hadn't said anything in the morning that would explain this.

Cade told her he wanted her to do something. He didn't elaborate on what that something was. She felt confused. What would he want with her? She also felt nervous for some unknown reason. She was aware of how Cade flirted with girls and in the past few days whilst hanging out with him, she had unintentionally heard him talk about sex a few times. She knew he hadn't meant for her to hear. That was why she had pretended to not know anything about his hushed conversations with Ryan. At first, she hadn't understood the talks. It wasn't like she knew anything about the topic anyway. Early on in her teens, she realized other kids who were her age were mostly sexually active. To her, it was as though she was the only one who thought that it was wrong, that you were only supposed to have sex with your chosen mate.

Walking home with Cade, she told herself that she had nothing to worry about. It wasn't like Cade was going to try anything with her. He was her pack. He wouldn't think of her in that way, even if she wanted him to, which she really didn't. Wanting to constantly touch him or be touched by him didn't mean anything. And she wasn't jealous when he smiled at and flirted with other girls, she was just looking out for her pack member.

Zeva didn't have to wait long to find out what Cade wanted her to do. When they got home, Cade told her to change into some work-out clothes. She didn't have any clothes specifically for working out. So, she shook her head.

'What? You won't do it?' He asked her in a disbelieving tone. She shook her head vigorously, trying to tell him that he didn't understand. He frowned at her, making her want to cry at her inability to tell him what was wrong. In her last attempt, she pointed at her body and grabbed a bit of clothes in her hand and then let it go abruptly, throwing her hands up and rolling her eyes. 'You don't have those types of clothes.' He groaned as he realised what she was saying. She nodded and let out a breath, relieved. 'Okay, I'll give you some.'

Cade went to his room and started looking for a pair of his clean shorts which would have enough elastic to stay in place. He found a black pair and took it to her to wear. 'Here, these should fit just fine. Wear your least favourite top with them. You'll be sweating a lot.' She nodded in response and left the room to go and change. He went back to his own room and changed into some shorts and a plain gray t-shirt.

He came back in the living room to find her sitting on a couch munching on some Pecan nuts and drinking a soda whilst reading one of Mila's girly magazines. She didn't notice him enter so didn't look up. She kept her eyes on the article she was reading. The sight took his breath away. She looked so beautiful and sexy, sitting cross-legged wearing a black vest top and his shorts. The sinful thoughts that were playing in his mind were going to make him hard, if he didn't focus on something else.

'Zeva, I'm ready.' It was so true. He was ready for some action. Action she couldn't give him. She looked at him and gave him a shy smile. Leaving the magazine on the table, she got up. 'Why don't you finish your food, then we'll start your training. I'll grab something to eat too.' He quickly trudged over to the kitchen cabinet and grabbed a packet of M&Ms. He needed something to get his mind of the temptation that was just a few feet away from him.

An hour later, they were in the gym room on the 3rd floor of their home building. Cade was showing her the SING technique where you hit someone with maximum force in the solar plexus, in-step, nose and groin. 'Right, I'm gonna come from behind you and I want you to do the SING. Go easy on the G, though.' He saw her turn red. He couldn't help but think she looked cute, blushing like that. He moved behind her and tried to attack her like another male would. She performed the SING and in no time they were sparring again. He realised she was letting out her anger because as time passed, she became more aggressive in the punches and kicks she was subjecting him to. He felt her frustration, so he let her release it. However, that meant she was hurting him because he wasn't responding to her attacks, instead he was simply trying to save his body from harm.

When Cade had had enough, he retaliated. It was hard. She was like a wild animal. In desperation, he kicked her so she fell to the floor on her stomach. He held her hands behind her back as he leaned in close to her ear and whispered. 'Stop fighting me.'

He used his free hand to move away the hair which covered her neck. He heard her moan as he started kissing the back of her neck. She moved under him and he let go of her hands. She turned round underneath him so they were face to face and he was pinning her down on the floor with his body weight. She was so close, so close in fact that he could taste her breath. His eyes darkened as she licked her lips. His gaze moved from her lips up to her eyes and back to her lips again. He saw her chew on her lip as she looked up at him with a nervous and confused expression marring her face. She looked so innocent and beautiful. Without another thought, he dropped his head. Leaning in, he slowly brushed his nose against hers before pressing his mouth over hers. The kiss was gentle at first because he had only meant to give her a chaste kiss. But, it became more. He realized he couldn't stop. She tasted better than anything he had ever had. His tongue tasted the inside of her mouth when she parted her lips in a gasp. Both his hands came up to cup her cheeks as he deepened the kiss.

Zeva thought she was floating. Heat pooled in her stomach as Cade deepened the kiss. She heard a moan. She was sure it was herself. She had never been kissed before. She had never expected it to be like this. The fact that her first was Cade made it all the more special but it also reminded her that she wasn't his first. This kiss meant nothing to him. It probably wasn't a big deal for him. She couldn't allow him to carry on. No matter how much she wanted to feel loved. She wasn't like other girls.

He felt her tense up under him and straighten her back. She pushed him. It was like a cold bucket of ice had been poured on him. He pulled away and hastily got off her, breathing heavily. 'Zeva, I don't know what…I should…' He fidgeted and ran his hand through his hair. He stood up and held out his hand to help her up but she didn't take it. She got up and gave him a sad look before leaving the room. 'Shit.' He said to the empty room and kicked the punch bag which was hanging from the ceiling a few meters away.

* * *

**A/N; Bonus points if you got which film i got the SING technique from???**

**Reviews would be nice.........(wanna know wot u guys want to happen?)**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 –

Zeva had been avoiding him ever since the kiss. She had started taking fighting lessons from his Mom and didn't hang out with him in school anymore. Although the girls in school were now back to following him and Ryan around, Cade wasn't happy. It was humiliating for him to even admit to himself but the truth was he didn't want any other girl around him. He missed looking after Zeva and being close to her.

He was coming back from the toilets at school. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the swarm of boys and girls heading out back to the playground. He walked straight into a running 14 yr old X6 boy. 'Hey, watch where…' Cade grabbed the boy in an angry grip. That's when he saw the crowd. 'Where is everyone going?' He asked the scared boy, loosening his grip on him.

The boy squirmed and tried to get away. 'There's a fight. Some chicks are fighting. I'm gonna miss it if you don't let me go.'

Cade let go of the boy and then followed him to the playground. It was lunchtime. Everyone was gathered outside to watch the fight. The kids had formed a circle around the fighters and were egging them on. From where he approached the crowd, Cade couldn't see who was fighting because of the mass of bodies pressed together. He started pushing his way through the crowd. No one was happy to move but they allowed him through because of who he was. There were some perks of being the Alpha in the school.

When he got to the front, his eyes widened in shock to see Zeva and Kara, the most popular girl in his class, fighting.

'Can you believe it? I can't.' Ryan was amused as he came to stand beside his gaping best friend. 'Zeva kicks ass. She's awesome, dude. Some of those kicks…' He whistled admiringly.

Cade looked at the fighting pair closely and smiled. It was true. Zeva was totally kicking Kara's ass because her fighting style was like his Mom's. She was fighting dirty. And, she was enjoying it. He saw the way she smiled in a smug way every time Kara fell to the ground. Kara looked pretty badly beaten up. 'We gotta stop Zeva. She might seriously injure Kara.' Cade found his voice and muttered. He quickly broke away from the crowd and approached the girls.

Just narrowly missing a kick from Kara, Cade pulled a struggling Zeva away from her. Kara's friends helped her up and took her away from the playground before Zeva got hold of their princess again. Sure in the knowledge that Zeva couldn't resume the fight, Cade let out a deep breath. He turned her around in his arms to hold her. Leaning in, he nuzzled her neck almost desperately. It felt like an eternity had passed since they had exchanged scents. He had missed it so much. He tightened his arms around her. Then, the thought that she could've gotten hurt crossed his mind and he loosened his hold.

Zeva felt her anger and tension leave her body when Cade wrapped her in his arms and exchanged scents with her. It felt so warm, safe and right, being like this. She shut her eyes to calm her heart rate. Immediately, she remembered their kiss. Tensing up, she aggressively pushed him away. It had been so hard to stay away from him since the kiss. She craved his touch all the time. However, she knew she couldn't allow her animalistic needs to rule her. Her human side wanted more than touch. She just hadn't figured out what yet. Nonetheless, Zeva was sure about one thing. She wasn't going to allow Cade to touch her ever again unless it meant something to him. She wasn't going to be another one of his bitches.

Cade regarded Zeva seriously. 'What was that about?' He asked, gruffly. He reasoned with himself that he was angry because she had fought on school grounds, not because she had rejected his embrace. He suddenly became conscious of the fact that most of the school kids were watching them. She looked at him with her soulful blue oceans for eyes and sadly shook her head. He felt the tension in her body and smelt the anger coming off her in waves. He felt his heart sink, seeing her turn around and leave.

Ryan quickly jogged over to Zeva. 'You okay, Zeva?' She nodded in response. Cade had told him about the kiss after making him promise he wouldn't laugh at him. But it had been too good of an opportunity for him to pass up. He had tried listening with a serious expression. However, hearing how the kiss had ended, he couldn't help the laughter and the _I told you so_ that followed. He was well aware of the fact that Zeva liked Cade a lot. The fact that she had pushed him away and was avoiding him convinced Ryan that she thought Cade was going to treat her like he treated other girls.

Ryan sighed. Going back to Cade, he smacked him upside his head. He was seriously getting sick of this whole thing between Cade and Zeva. How hard was it for Cade to see that Zeva loved him and did she really think he didn't care about her? Hell, she was the only girl his bro had ever broken his own self-imposed BAMF rules for. Cade had shopped with her, shadowed her, and looked after her when she couldn't look after herself. At first, their whole situation had been funny. The angsty looks they gave each other when they thought the other wasn't looking, the dejected sighs, Cade's new disinterest in fucking girls, and the way Zeva looked so heartbroken when Cade flirted with other girls. But, Ryan felt annoyed now. He thought it was about time they realized what they meant to each other.

'Ryan, why were they fighting? You know, right? Dude, I need to know what the fuck this was about.' Cade felt aggravated. It concerned him to know that Zeva had actually fought with someone. He knew she wasn't the type to start fights. For her to be so angry, Kara must've said something really bad.

Ryan thought whether it was best to tell Cade her reason for fighting or not. He wasn't sure what the hot-tempered Alpha's reaction would be. And, he didn't want to cause embarrassment to his bro in front of the entire school. 'We'll talk about it later.' Subtly, he tried to tell Cade that it wasn't such a good idea to discuss the matter out in the open.

Cade wasn't discouraged. 'No, I wanna know now.' He growled.

'Fine.' Ryan looked around at the kids who were still standing in the playground. For the first time in his life, he wished they didn't all have super-hearing. He cleared his throat. 'Kara provoked Zeva. She said that your pack had only adopted her cause no one else wanted her. She said a lot of mean things to her but I think what made Zeva really mad was when Kara stopped insulting her and instead insulted you by calling you a dumb bastard and a male-whore.' Ryan waited for Cade to explode. He was surprised when Cade remained silent and chewed on his bottom lip, looking guilty.

Cade couldn't quite get over the warm fuzzy feeling he felt in his heart, hearing Zeva had been fighting because Kara had insulted him. 'Kara is a bitch. She wanted to carry on with our activities. I told her I wasn't interested. I guess she didn't take it so lightly. But, she had no right to take it out on Zeva.' Cade made a disgusted face.

Ryan wasn't surprised. 'I can't believe these girls still think they can change us. I mean, they know the score. We don't lie to them. I always tell my girls that it's just sex. They never seem to care then. Once you've scratched your itch, they get all clingy. I don't understand girls. What do they expect from us?' Ryan said, annoyed.

'I don't know and I don't care.' Cade huffed out as he started making his way back inside the school building.

Later that day, Cade was at home watching television after school. Ryan had already left because his Mom had called him about some help she needed getting some stuff. After an hour of channel surfing, he fell asleep on the couch.

After picking their daughters up from Biggs' home as usual, Alec and Max arrived home to find the television on and their son sound asleep on the couch.

Max told the girls to go to their bedroom to play until dinner time because she didn't want them to disturb Cade. She nearly shrieked when she saw Alec poking Cade to wake him up. 'Alec, what are you doing?' She shoved him away from her son.

'What do you think I'm doing, Maxie? My boy is having a wet dream. I am so proud.' Alec put his hand on his heart and sighed dramatically. 'But, Maxie, I seriously don't want him to spoil our couch and the girls are here. So, I suggest we wake him before any of the girls see their brother like this.' He pointedly looked at his son whose pants were straining to pop open and then Max.

Max chewed her bottom lip and muttered. 'I didn't want to hear that about my baby.' She smacked Alec upside his head and then went to the kitchen. 'Wake him up.'

Alec shook Cade gently. He was feeling mischievous so he decided to try to get Cade to say who he was having the dream about. 'Cade?' Alec said softly, ruffling his son's hair. He was rewarded with a moan from Cade.

Max saw Alec's shit-eating grin and immediately knew he was up to no good. 'Alec!' She warned from the kitchen as she took the pasta out from its pack.

Alec ignored his mate's glare and warning and resumed his naughty task. He gently caressed his son's cheek, hoping he would just get the answer already. And, to his joy, he did get the answer. However, the answer wasn't one he was expecting. He had expected some Hollywood babe's name or a VS model's name, not someone he knew.

Cade moaned in his sleep. 'Zeva…I want…'

Alec slapped Cade on his arm before he could say anything else. Cade woke up with a start. Alec saw how his son looked around and grew pale. He was breathing as if he had been running forever. 'Kid, sorry to startle you. You were having a dream.' Alec raised an eyebrow questioningly, though it wasn't a question. Cade started blushing and Alec couldn't help it, he ruffled his son's hair and winked knowingly at him.

Cade looked down at his pants and got embarrassed. He had a hard-on which was pretty obvious. He cleared his throat. 'I am…erm…I think I'm…' He pointed in the direction of his bedroom and quickly ran off to it.

In the safety of his own bedroom, Cade looked down again and groaned feeling frustrated. The dream had been so real. He could still remember her touch, her smell and the way she looked at him. He had felt all the emotions as if they were real. He wanted her so bad right now. He could hear his sisters talking to her in their bedroom. Knowing he'd have to get rid of his erection before dinner, he grabbed his towel and headed to the bathroom to take a cold shower.

A few days later, Max was lounging on her office chair sorting some paper-work out when Alec came in shaking his head and muttering under his breath. 'Seriously, Joshua is gonna kill me if he finds out.'

'If he finds out what, Alec?' Max questioned, knitting her eyebrows together in worry. 'What have you done now?'

Alec walked over to her chair and lifted her out of it. He then sat himself down and parked her on his lap. 'Maxie, have I told you how hot you look today?' He tried to deflect her questions.

Max gave him a sceptical unbelieving look and warned. 'Alec!'

'Hell, I could totally do with a little touch right now.' Alec leaned in and bit her earlobe and then moved on to kissing his mate's neck. 'What say, we blow this joint? I need some lovin' baby.' He added, seductively.

Max moaned. 'Alec…' She felt herself melting. However, she knew it was his ploy to change the topic. So, she summoned the willpower to reject his seduction. 'Baby, you ain't getting away with whatever you did. I'd rather hear from you than someone else.' She smacked him gently on his face.

Alec gave up on avoiding the issue and decided to have it out in the open to get it over and done with. 'You know the Animal Rights and Protection Society's annual meeting and convention is this weekend?' She nodded. 'Well, I might've promised Joshua that he could come. But I just found out from the organisers that he won't be allowed.'

'Joshua always babysits for the kids when we go to the meeting because Biggs and CeCe have to go too. Both of them need to be there with us. You know that. They specialise in this sort of thing.' Max got off Alec's lap and started pacing the office. 'How could you promise him something you had no intention of doing? He'll be devastated.' She stopped pacing for a moment and glared at him.

'I did intend to take him. Joshua doesn't need to babysit anymore. Cade and Ryan are old enough to look after their sisters.' Alec pointed out, shrugging. 'Maxie, can you call the organisers and try to get them to allow Joshua to go in the meeting. It's not fair that anyone in the world can go but he isn't allowed just cause he's got canine dna in him. They'll listen to you. I'm sure of it.'

'Why's that?' Max deadpanned.

'You're scary, baby. You scare your own mate, never mind anyone else.' Alec saw Max move towards him, fire blazing in her eyes. 'Oh, shit. I think I'm gonna go now. You should make that call.' He quickly ran for the door.

Later that night, Alec was sat watching tele with the rest of his pack when he broke the news to the kids. 'Kids, I wanted to tell you something.' They all unglued their eyes from the tele and looked at him expectantly. 'Erm, you guys know your Mom and I go to meetings sometimes. Well, we have an important weekend convention to go to. You know the one where Ryan, Kyla and Lyla get to stay here with you and Joshua looks after all of you. Only, this time we're taking Joshua with us.'

Mila launched herself at her Dad. Sitting on his lap and snuggling up to him, she asked. 'Who will look after us then, Daddy?'

'Princess, I figured Cade and Ryan are old enough for babysitting.' Alec kissed Mila on the cheek. 'Baby, you have nothing to worry about.'

'I'm not a baby anymore.' Mila pouted and crossed her arms over her chest.

Lima snorted. 'You could've fooled me.'

'Cade, you think you can handle looking after the girls for 3 days?' Alec asked. He saw Max look up from the book she was reading. They exchanged looks.

Cade looked at his little sisters who were grinning at him and then he looked at Zeva who looked engrossed in the magazine she was reading. The three days would give him a chance to get back in her good graces. She would definitely need him for something. She couldn't keep pretending he didn't exist, the way she had since the kiss incident ten days ago. It hadn't been long but he already missed her so much. They hadn't really exchanged scents since the kiss and it was driving him crazy.

'Dad, don't worry about the girls. You guys enjoy yourselves. Mole and Joshua on the same team will be fun I am sure.' Cade said as he put an arm around Lima's shoulder and pulled her close. 'If Mila pisses me off then Lima can beat her up for me.' He winked at Lima and high-fived her.

'Daddy!' Mila looked petrified. She squirmed, trying to get her Dad to shout at her siblings.

'Cade, stop messing. Don't you dare let the girls fight or egg them on deliberately. I mean it. We are leaving tomorrow morning after you go to school. Now, I believe it's your time for bed. Kids?' Alec tried to look serious and make it sound like an order. However, Max was better at this strict parent gig than him. So, his order fell on deaf ears as his kids continued doing what they had been doing before he started talking.

In the morning, a quiet mood had settled on their household. Max noticed the silence around the dining table as everyone had their breakfasts. It was always hard for them to be away from each other. She knew her family was feeling the same as she was. All their animal instincts telling them not to leave the other pack member.

Cade got up. 'We have to go to school now.' He felt the familiar feeling of protectiveness as he first hugged and kissed his Mom and then gave a quick embarrassed hug to his Dad, not wanting to make it so chick flicky. 'Mom, don't let Dad eat too much like last time. You don't want him spending a lot of time in toilets again, do you?' Alec smacked Cade's shoulder affectionately and tried to glare at him. Max laughed at their antics. 'And Dad, do let Mom kick every girl's ass whose ass you might check out.'

Alec scoffed. 'As if she's ever needed my permission to kick anyone's ass before.'

'Look after each other.' Cade stopped the jokes and looked at his parents seriously. They nodded at him with a smile. 'Zeva, come on. We'll be late.' He looked at his silent walking-companion, who was still pretending he didn't exist.

Zeva felt a feeling of loss as she hugged her new parents. It was the first time that they wouldn't be near her if she needed them. They were going somewhere far. All of a sudden, she got in a panic thinking they might not come back. She started crying. She wanted to be brave for them but she couldn't help the tears from flooding her. She couldn't help her fear from bubbling to the surface.

'Zeva, sweetheart…hey, there's no need to cry. We're only going for a short amount of time. You won't even know we're gone. Anyway, you'll have your friends Kyla and Lyla staying over.' Alec soothed as he stroked Zeva's hair. Max was holding her in her arms as the kid trembled and sobbed. Alec felt his other kids all become sad and agitated.

Max bit her lip to hold back her own tears. She had known it was going to be especially hard on Zeva to have them away from her for a while. She couldn't blame the little girl. She was still hurting and needed to be around her pack. Max put on her best brave face and kissed Zeva on the head before declaring. 'You'll love the sleepover. Mila and Lyla will give all you girls the glamour treatment. You'll have so much fun.'

'Yeah, I'll put sparkly nail varnish on your nails. I have so many colours too.' Mila chimed in, getting up and wrapping her arms around her Mom and Zeva.

'We're talking about Mila's heaven here. She'll be in her element with all this girly sleepover crap. All I can promise is to go along with it for your sake.' Lima got up and joined in the hug.

'Sorry to break up the chick flick moment, but Zeva, we'll get late if we don't go now.' Cade said, disappointed that he couldn't just as easily join in the hug.

'Cade, before you go I need to talk to you alone.' Alec said seriously. He had been meaning to have this talk with his son but kept avoiding it because he just didn't know if it was right time or not. His son followed him to his bedroom.

'Dad, what's up?' Cade asked, hesitantly.

'I've noticed that Zeva has been ignoring you for over a week now. I don't know what happened between the two of you. But, Cade, you need to fix it. You'll have 3 days without your Mom breathing down your neck and monitoring everything you do.' Alec hinted, placing a hand on Cade's shoulder.

'Dad, I…I don't…I kissed her.' Cade blurted out. He saw his father's mouth open and close like a fish. 'I don't know what I was thinking. It just happened.' Cade shrugged and smiled at the memory of the kiss.

'Cade, is she another one of the girls on your list of girls you would like to fuck and then forget about?' Alec levelled a hard gaze at him.

'Nooo! This isn't like that. I shouldn't have told you.' Cade growled angrily. Shit, why the hell did he tell his Dad about the kiss? Man, he was so screwed.

'Cade, calm down. You know you can tell me anything. Is that why she's ignoring you?' Alec inquired in a soft tone. It was now that he noticed how tense his son was. Immediately, he knew his son was upset by her ignorance. 'Don't worry. She'll come around eventually.' Alec thought about his and Max's relationship before they mated.

Cade sighed. 'She doesn't even exchange scents with me anymore. I haven't touched her in like forever. It's driving me crazy. I don't know how to fix it Dad. Please help me.'

'I don't know, kid. If you had told me earlier, I probably could've come up with a plan for you but we're short on time. All I can think of right now is that she has nightmares at night. Usually, Max or I go to comfort her depending on who hears her first. Now, we won't be here. And, we don't want the twins to get scared, do we? You have 3 nights.' Alec wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and saw Cade's scrunched up confused face light up as he understood what he had been told.

Cade hugged his father. 'Dad, you're awesome. You're the best.' He declared, grinning.

'I know. Don't tell your Mom about anything we discussed. She'll kill me for being this awesome.' Alec knew Max would not be pleased if she knew he was encouraging their son.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 –

Zeva walked alongside Ryan and Cade as they went to pick the girls up from school. Ryan had called the girls and told them to wait for them because they got out of their school at the same time. Ryan was walking in the middle because she had refused to walk beside Cade, as always. She stole sideway glances at Cade when she thought he wasn't looking but he caught her every time. She tried to quench the urge as best she could but she couldn't help it. For this reason, she fixed a perpetual glare on her face and kept huffing angrily. It had become her routine now, to act angry towards Cade so he wouldn't pick up on her actual feelings.

Cade felt highly perplexed by Zeva's display of indifference towards him. She was glaring daggers at him. What was her problem anyway? He dared to glance at her again and was met by the same cold blue stare. He murmured a curse and then focused his attention back on Ryan who was telling them about an incident that happened when he went to get Joshua's paints with his Dad.

'…that asshole just stood there, mouth gaping like a fish. Seriously, he looked like he was gonna piss in his pants.' Ryan laughed out. However, his fit of laughter was short-lived as Zeva smacked him on the shoulder, looking disgusted at him. 'Ow…could everyone stop hitting me, for Mole's sake?' Ryan rubbed his shoulder, feeling annoyed.

That cracked Zeva up. She started laughing. It was the first time she had laughed openly since she had lost her ability to speak. The sound of her giggles shocked her as much as it shocked Ryan and Cade. They stopped and stood in front of her.

'You just laughed out loud. Does that mean you can talk now?' Ryan's eyes went wide as he whispered his question. 'Oh my god, I made you speak.' He said, his expression reflecting that he was in awe.

'Wait a minute. We shouldn't just assume, Ryan. Laughing is different from talking.' Cade tried to be the voice of reason. He hated to be the one to point out the facts to them. Knowing how much it would hurt her. But, he couldn't allow her to get her hopes up, only to have them crushed. He moved closer to her. Reaching out to touch her, he stopped short when she flinched away. He didn't want to upset her. 'Zeva, can you try talking for us?' He softly asked her. She didn't respond to him, just glared at him. He exchanged looks with Ryan who shrugged in nonchalance. 'Please?'

Zeva saw the look in Cade's pleading eyes and felt as if she was melting. But, no, she wasn't going to allow herself to melt. She wasn't going to surrender to his requests that easily. She wasn't like other girls. Who the hell does he think he is anyway? She stared him down. Then moving so that he wasn't in her path anymore, she started walking towards the girls' school. Damn, they were already late for them. What must the girls be thinking? At least, there wasn't any school for the next two days.

Later that evening, Zeva and Kyla were setting the table for dinner when Kyla asked her about the sleeping arrangement. Zeva shrugged and wrote _I don't know_ on the notepad she now always carried around with her. She had tried talking when alone but to her extreme sadness, she still couldn't. The laughter had been just a one-off. In that moment, she had felt her hopes die a premature death. Not wanting to keep the boys in the dark for too long, she had told Ryan. The truth was she couldn't take the looks Cade had been giving her. He had almost looked as if he cared about her.

Kyla's question about the sleeping arrangement was soon answered when everyone sat down to eat.

'Cade, can you move Zeva's bed in our room. Then, all of us girls can sleep together.' Mila said, jumping in her seat excitedly as she winked at Zeva.

'No, Mila. Zeva's bed won't fit in there. And, anyway it's best if she sleeps where she feels comfortable.' Cade said, pretending to look thoughtful. Stabbing at his steak, ripping a chunk, he took a bite. His Dad's talk was still fresh on his mind. And, he was still dreaming up the various ways he would end up in her bedroom.

'Fine. Then, I guess Kyla can sleep with her.' Lima beamed at everyone. Everyone knew Lima loved her bed and found it hard to share it, despite the fact that she barely slept, thanks to her genes.

'No. Mom and Dad said to not let anyone other than pack sleep with her. One of you girls can share with her if you want or she can sleep alone like she always does.' Cade shrugged, feigning disinterest.

'Lyla and Kyla are family.' Lima argued, pushing her empty plate away and grabbing another for dessert.

'Yeah, I know. It's her animal instincts that won't allow her to be comfortable, once she's asleep.' Cade didn't dare look at Zeva. Instead, he looked at Ryan who was enthusiastically stuffing his mouth with food. He looked up from his plate when he felt Cade's eyes on him and wiggled his eyebrows knowingly. Cade got a weird feeling that Ryan knew of his plan. His bro was perceptive like that if he wanted to be. Cade smiled and peeled his eyes away from Ryan's.

It was movie night. So, Cade sent Ryan to get some movies from the Command. He instructed Ryan to get some horror movies. There were more chances of Zeva wanting to be close to him if she felt scared. Ryan didn't let him down, bringing back with him two really scary movies.

The five girls piled onto the couch, with Cade and Ryan sitting down on the floor at their feet, after grabbing junk food out of the cupboards.

After fifteen minutes of watching the film, Mila and Lyla went to bed. They said they didn't understand the film and would rather play before bedtime. Lima was soon to follow, using the excuse of being bored by the film. Cade took this opportunity to move to the couch. He knew that sitting on the couch would allow him to be closer to Zeva, even though she was now sitting at the other end as far as she could be. He just hoped she'd stay till the end of the film since she was the only girl still watching as Kyla had gone to bed too, having gotten scared.

Ryan had seen the film before. That was the reason why his attention was mainly on the couple sat above him on the couch. His eyes were on the screen but ears were on the back. The idiots were sat on opposite ends. Seriously, this couple could definitely win an award for UST or any other tension, and their stubbornness and resolve to live in the denial of the tension. He could feel it sitting here on the floor. He was about to voice his annoyance when his favourite part in the film came on. Oh Yes. If this didn't glue Zeva to Cade, then nothing would. Ryan didn't have to wait long for his theory to be proven correct.

When the killer in the film started hacking away at the people with a saw, Cade felt Zeva's shiver from where he sat and in the next moment she was plastered to his side. Cade placed his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.

On the screen, the killer started up his saw and within minutes it turned to blood, organs, and screams amongst other scary things. Ryan felt Zeva and Cade shift. Knowing she had glued herself to his friend, he decided to depart. It was time to leave them alone. So he got up, making a show of being tired by stretching his muscles. 'Night, guys, I'm tired. I'm going to hit the sack.' He waved, leaving before they could respond.

Zeva stayed snuggled up to Cade's side. She felt warm and safe. A feeling she wanted to always feel. She was grateful he hadn't commented on her plastering herself to him. He had the perfect opportunity to mock her. After all, she was getting comforted by him whilst still trying to pretend he didn't even exist.

Getting the vibe that making a smart-assed remark about the way Zeva was wrapped around him wouldn't help him in fixing things with her, Cade didn't acknowledge their closeness.

As the time for bed approached, with the movie being in its last part, Zeva felt herself grow tense and nervous as always. She hated sleeping. Her nightmares never left her. Repeatedly feeling her world crash and burn before her eyes wasn't something she could look forward to. Sleeping made her feel horrible. If she could live without it, she would. She realised that being so close to Cade was making her sleepy. She tried to fight off her drowsiness because she knew she would get worse nightmares if she didn't watch the end of the movie. But by the time the film ended, Zeva had fallen asleep.

Cade was surprised when Zeva moved closer to him. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and wrapped an arm around his waist. Listening to her even breathing and cute purring, he became conscious of the fact that he now had a sleeping beauty in his arms. Shit. What was he supposed to do now?

He gently untangled her from him and lay her down on the couch. Then he got up to switch the movie off and clear up. After accomplishing the tasks, he came to stand in front of his sleeping pack member. He thought about waking her up so she could go to bed herself but soon that idea was dismissed. She didn't need to wake up as everyone had changed into their night clothes before sitting to watch the movie. Cade and Ryan had worn t-shirts on top of their boxer shorts for the sake of Zeva. But otherwise they had all been ready for bed.

Making his mind up, Cade carried Zeva, bridal-style, to her room. He gently placed her on the bed and covered her with her blankets. Switching the light off, he was about to leave when suddenly he was hit by the stench of fear. He back tracked into the room and looked at her. She gave a strangled pain-filled moan before tears started falling freely on her face.

Cade sat beside her on her bed and shook her, trying to wake her up. What seemed like an eternity to him but was in reality a few minutes passed when she gasped and came awake. She sat up in her bed, confusion and fear marring her angelic face. 'Shhh, it's okay. You had a nightmare.' Cade didn't know what else to say. Was this how his parents comforted her every night? He saw her trembling as she put her arms around her own body, hugging herself. She was still crying but was trying to hide it from him by using her hair as a curtain.

He felt her pain, her loneliness and her need for comfort. Moving closer to her, he opened his arms. He wanted her to make the decision to take his offered comfort, rather than force her to take it. To his amazement, she climbed into his lap and nuzzled his neck. He returned the favour by nuzzling her neck before rubbing soothing circles on her back. It had been too long since he had any physical contact with her of their animal nature. He had craved it like a drug-addict craved drugs. This had only occurred to him when she had withdrawn the touch that he had taken for granted.

They stayed sat like that for a while, well past the time that would categorise the moment as comforting a pack member.

Once her initial fear and panic subsided, Zeva became aware of their intimate position. In her emotional state, she had failed to grasp what she was doing but now she became conscious of how little they both had on in terms of clothes and how she was sitting in his lap where she could feel his boy-bits digging into the back of her thighs. She swallowed hard, trying to rid her mind of the thoughts she didn't fully understand yet. Why did she feel so hot and needy?

Cade caught a whiff of sex pheromones coming off her as her fear subsided. He had a feeling that she didn't understand anything about sex and that the only reason she was producing the pheromones was because she had only just realised their intimate position and her body was reacting instinctively. The change in her triggered a response in his body. He felt himself go hard. It was time to get her off his lap. He couldn't possibly let her feel his erection. He had no intention of taking advantage of her.

He moved her out of his lap and then got up to leave. 'Go back to sleep. Nothing's going to hurt you. We're all here.' He reassured her gruffly.

Zeva felt the loss of warmth as she saw her safety blanket leave. Her pride didn't want her to stop him but her heart did. In the end, her pride won out the battle. She let him go. Forcing herself to stay awake was a hard task. She counted the stars she could see through the window. She tried to talk out loud. She tried to mentally go through the list of all the transgenics she didn't like. All were girls from their school. No matter what she tried to think of, her mind kept going back to the one transgenic who seemed to fill her thoughts all the time lately and who she didn't want to think about. And, that transgenic was her pack member and the world's biggest flirt, as far as she was concerned, Cade.

Three a.m. in the morning, Cade woke up with a start. Something was not right. He was sure of it. His instincts woke him up and they had never been wrong before. Operating on instincts, he looked over at Ryan who was out for the count, sleeping in a sleeping bag on a mattress on the floor. If it wasn't Ryan then it must've been the girls. Thinking this, he checked in the twins' room. However, all the girls were in a peaceful slumber. Feeling antsy and confused, he finally went to check on Zeva.

She was sat hunched in the middle of her bed, with her arms wrapped around her legs. What the fuck was she doing sat like that and not sleeping? Hell, this female was some piece of work. He switched the light on and walked further into her room expecting to smell tears or fear but he didn't smell either. This confused Cade even more.

She gave him a quick look before going back to hiding her face in her knees. He slowly made his way to the corner of the bed which was closer to her and sat down. Sighing, he asked. 'Zeva, what's up? Why aren't you sleeping?'

Zeva felt her heart-rate quicken when she heard Cade so close to her. Not knowing how to answer him, she stayed motionless. She basked in the warmth of his presence. It was enough for her. She didn't need anything else.

Moments passed and Zeva hadn't answered Cade's question. Increasingly, he became uneasy. His adrenaline was still pumping in him and his instinct to protect was still overwhelming. Getting sick of her stupid games, he growled angrily before moving onto the bed, closer to her silent and still form. He leant forward and caressed the back of her neck, hoping that she'd respond like she had done the first time his fingers had brushed her neck, back at the underwear shop.

Zeva felt him move closer to her body and touch her. Her eyes shut on their own accord. Some deep feelings within her awakened at the contact, making her moan in pleasure.

Cade smiled victoriously to himself when he heard her moan. He felt his own body responding to the contact after a moment and inwardly cursed. Trying to get his mind off of his sexual fantasies, he tried to focus on the problem. He wanted to hurry up and get out of there so he asked again. 'Zeva, will you just fucking tell me what's wrong so I can sort out your damn problem. I am tired. I wanna go to bed.'

Zeva shuddered at his harsh tone. Why was he always so mean to her? She felt her eyes sting. Damn it, she wasn't going to cry in front of him, especially after what he just said.

Cade saw the tears glinting in her eyes when she looked up at him with a shocked face. He replayed what he had said to her and mentally kicked himself, realizing he had acted like a nasty son of a bitch to her. 'I…I'm…erm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that. It's just I'm tired.' He shrugged. She was still looking at him with hurt big blue eyes. 'Why aren't you sleeping?' He asked, this time softly.

Zeva let out a shuddering deep breath and then sighed. She quickly grabbed her pen and notepad from the side table and wrote down her answer. She ripped the paper and gave it to Cade to read. She saw the different emotions pass over his face.

Cade was glad at least she was talking to him and wasn't pretending he didn't exist anymore. 'So, what you're saying is you can't sleep because you feel a different emotion or feeling you don't understand.' Cade raised an eyebrow, questioningly. She nodded. 'You can't stop thinking about this feeling. You feel restless and scared.' She nodded again. 'What can I do to make this feeling go away?' He finally asked. She shrugged. She looked so innocent when she moved over in her bed and lay down. She motioned for him to sleep beside her. 'You want me to sleep here?' She nodded. He noticed she was embarrassed and blushing.

Zeva didn't want to ask him to stay but she had no choice. Either that or no sleep. Tonight, she had found out that her instincts wanted him near her when she slept. She didn't feel right otherwise. She needed his scent to surround her. Initially, she had panicked. How was she supposed to get him to sleep with her everyday? She couldn't. Then, she had resolved to try to sleep without his scent. Unsuccessful in her attempts, she had sat on her bed waiting for the morning to dawn. But, now that he was here. Would it be so bad to ask for his help when he was the only one who could actually help? He was her pack. It was his duty to look after her.

Cade saw the hopeful look in her eyes and decided to put her out of her misery. He switched the light off and got in bed beside her. He could see everything despite the dark. She moved in the middle of the bed and faced the other way so that her back was to him. Her whole body was tense and she looked uncomfortable. For minutes, he debated whether he should move closer to her or not. He let his instincts win out in the end. He moved closer to her and wrapped her in his arms, snuggling. She immediately relaxed.

The next day Cade was in a bad mood. He felt angry as hell. What had annoyed him was that in the morning he woke up to an empty bed. And, if that wasn't enough, Zeva was back to pretending he didn't exist.

'Where were you? You weren't in bed when I woke up.' Ryan asked Cade, feigning ignorance. He knew full well where his best friend had been sleeping. He saw Cade's angry expression and heard him huff.

'Zeva wanted me to sleep with her so I just stayed there.' Cade said through gritted teeth and shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. He shifted the weight of the dumb bell to his other arm and started another round of tricep curls.

It was late afternoon, the boys and the girls were all on the same level of the building. Ryan and Cade were working out in the gym and the girls were playing in the swimming pool. The girls had wanted to go out but the boys had stopped them with the excuse that the weather was awful. It hadn't been such a hard feat. After all, the weather was bad. There was rain, thunder and lightning. A disadvantage to living near the ocean was the constant storms that threatened Deania in the wet season. Usually that didn't stop the boys from doing whatever they wanted to do but they were aware it was Zeva's first time experiencing such weather in their nation. For all they knew, there probably weren't any storms where she came from. She had genuinely looked scared at the prospect of going out.

Ryan stopped jogging on the treadmill and stood still. 'You slept with her?' He tried to sound shocked. 'Dude, what the fuck? You can't just treat her like you do other girls. You can't leave her after fucking her. She's still your pack.' He pointed out, wide eyed.

'Shut up bitch. Who the fuck said I did that with her? That's never gonna happen. I just helped her out. She was scared, man. She wanted to feel safe so she could sleep.' Cade couldn't bring himself to use the term fuck in relation to her. It was such a crude term. Anything that included her would be beautiful not something so meaningless. He dropped his dumb bell and moved onto the treadmill beside Ryan's. 'That's never gonna happen.' He said again, trying hard to mask his disappointed tone.

Yeah right. Ryan believed Cade as much as he believed he was going to become the first transgenic UN president which was unbelievable. Ryan rolled his eyes at Cade's insistent declaration. 'Whatever jerk. I just wanted to ask if she's on your girls you'd like to fuck list.' He smirked, thinking of how many were on his own list.

'Can you stop saying that?' Cade said agitated.

'What?' Ryan was confused. Setting the treadmill to the same speed as Cade, he started jogging again.

'The word fuck. Can't you use something better?' Cade squirmed under his friends disbelieving stare. He felt himself go red.

'You're the one who taught me the word. Anyway, why do you want me to use something better?' Ryan scoffed.

'You were talking about Zeva.' Cade managed out in a meek voice.

'So? What do you want me to say? Have sex with, bang, ride...or maybe...make love to?' When he said the last one, Ryan saw Cade's eyes widen.

'No. I didn't say that…I…' Cade blanched and shook his head vigorously in denial. No way was he gonna call it making love. He didn't love her. What he felt for her was lust not love. No, not even lust. He just felt different, and confused, and like an addict, and infuriated, and a jumbled mess of emotions.

Ryan saw Cade's expression and burst out laughing. Seriously, Cade was whipped and he didn't even seem to know it. Ryan affectionately smacked his self-proclaimed brother on the arm and winked at him.

That night, Cade couldn't sleep. He felt restless. His instincts were telling him to go and check on Zeva. She had been reluctant to go to bed. Kyla had told him and Ryan that Zeva was scared of storms. He was worried about her. Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep until he checked if she was sleeping okay, he left his bedroom and went to hers.

Cade found Zeva sitting on her bed trembling as she looked out of her window. She looked at him and glared before going back to looking outside. He moved closer to her bed and sat down. Looking for any signs of her desire for his absence, he relaxed when she didn't acknowledge his closeness. She was looking the other way. She didn't even seem to care, he was there.

Lightning struck, which made Zeva gasp and move closer to him. She had been facing the opposite way. She turned around and came face-to-face with him. Their lips were mere inches apart. Their eyes met, he looked at her and then moved closer and kissed her. The kiss was magical. She felt herself melt against him. Moaning in pleasure, she wrapped her arms around his neck and willingly let him pull her closer to his hard body. He kissed her passionately, moving from her lips to her neck. Sucking on the corner where her neck met her shoulder, he moved his hand under her small night-dress. He caressed her stomach and thighs. She moaned and arched her back, wanting him to touch her more but he quickly withdrew his hand, cursing.

Cade gently pushed her so she lay down on her bed. He got in beside her and pulled her underneath him. 'I've missed you so much. I've wanted to touch you and exchange scents for so long. But you pretend I don't even exist. Why are you mad at me?' Cade asked her looking down at her. He leaned down and kissed her again. Breaking the kiss, he whispered brokenly. 'Please, don't be mad at me. If you're mad cause of the kissing then I really don't know what's happening to me. I've never lost control around a girl before. You make me feel different. I…I'm confused.'

Zeva felt Cade's vulnerability. She saw his emotional walls come down to let her in. He looked away and fell back on her bed beside her. She heard his shuddered sigh and decided she was done punishing him. She turned on her side so her back was to him and moved back flush against his body. She reached for his arm and guided it around her waist. She felt the tension in his body leave him when he realised what she was doing.

Cade felt her trying to drag his body around hers and recognized the act for what it really meant. She had forgiven him and was trying to tell him that she didn't mind being held by him. Wasting no time, he turned on his side and spooned his body with hers. He kissed her on her head and smiled. 'Good night. Sweet dreams.' In response, she aligned her arm next to his around her waist and linked her fingers with his.

That night, they both fell into a deep sleep with a smile on their face and with the secret personal resolve to not acknowledge what had happened between them this stormy night.

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**A/N; i only got 2 reviews *pouts*...seriously, was last chapter that bad?...well, i will be bringing in Dean and Sam in the story from nxt chapter and if you guys wanna read it soon then you better press the review button, don't ya? **


	14. Chapter 14

Ch 14 –

Alec raised a reflective eyebrow and smirked as he saw Cade sneak out of his own bedroom and go to Zeva's in the middle of the night. He knew his son didn't have a clue of his presence in the silent dark lounge watching him. He took a swig of his drink and shook his head in amusement as he remembered his conversation with Cade when he'd gotten back from the 3 day convention a week ago. He had asked him if he had fixed things with Zeva. To which, Cade had vaguely hinted that the teenagers were not on bad terms anymore by nodding his head in affirmation as an answer and shrugging.

Alec had personally wanted details which his stubborn-ass son refused to give. So, he had no choice but to resort to finding out for himself what was really going on between the two teenagers. He still wasn't sure. All he knew was that his son seemed to be sleeping with Zeva every night and making sure no one else found out about it. Not only that, their whole attitude towards each other seemed to be different during the day. Something had changed between them. Cade tried to find any opportunity to get on her nerves and Zeva smacked him around whenever she wanted without him so much as retaliating. In fact, it seemed as though Cade meant to annoy her just so that she would react.

Looking at them, lately, Alec had been feeling a sense of déjà vu. Their relationship seemed to be a carbon copy of his relationship with Max back in the day when she had always pretended to hate him.

Thinking of the she-devil herself, he finally got up and rinsed his glass before making his way to his bedroom and his mate.

He got in the bed beside Max and kissed her on her neck. Rubbing his scent on her, he spooned himself with her. She moaned in appreciation.

'Alec, what took you so long?' Max murmured in her half-sleep state. Moaning at his kisses, she sighed and rubbed her back against his naked chest.

Alec leaned over and kissed her passionately on her lips before pulling away and responding to her question. 'I was just checking on the kids. Go to sleep, baby. You're tired. We'll talk in the morning.' He settled himself on his own pillow after wriggling around a few minutes to get in the most comfy position.

Max, suddenly, sat up in the bed. She ran her hand through her hair. Looking down at the confused expression on Alec's face, she felt him tense up so she stroked his cheek to reassure him. He visibly relaxed at her touch. 'You do remember you and Cade have to go to Sydney tomorrow, to pick up Sam and Dean from the airport.' She asked as she ran a hand through Alec's hair, spiking them at different angles.

'Course, I remember. How can I forget?' He gave her a dazzling smile, showing his happiness at the prospect of seeing his brothers again. 'Go to sleep, baby. You'll need to be rested for tomorrow.'

Although this morning wasn't any quieter than the other mornings in their household, it certainly had a different air to it. There was an eerie quietness to the bustle of activity that was happening in the room. Everyone was buzzing in excitement, but seemed to be keeping it under wraps.

Max found the energy to be in contradiction to the quietness. Despite it being a Saturday, the entire household was up early. She smiled looking around the room. She had a perfect view from where she was standing leaning on the kitchen counter. The twins were telling Zeva stories about their Uncles' hunts and all the presents they had brought them over the years. Mila was doing most of the talking with Lima butting in when she felt the need to. Cade was eating his breakfast with a grin splitting his face. He was trying to hide it but was unsuccessful in doing so as it was practically plastered on his face. And, her mate, Alec was loading a couple of guns for himself and Cade with the same grin as their son marring his face.

Taking a sip of her coffee, she focused her attention back at the book of different recipes of foods that she had to cook before her guests came home. This was the part she always dreaded, having to do something she wasn't good at. There was no question about it, she was bad at cooking. All she could cook was the basic stuff like rice, stir-fry vegetables and pasta. Not a proper three-course dinner which Alec wanted and normally provided for his brothers. It was an unspoken rule in their household that when his brothers or some other guests were coming, Alec had to cook. However, this time he'd been busy with something at Command that needed urgent attention.

Max knew how much it meant to Alec to have his brothers come over to visit. He did anything to make their stay pleasurable. Her mate had been willing to stay up all night to cook but she had assured him she could manage. It wouldn't have been fair on him to have him do it as he needed his sleep because he was going to be driving to the airport and back home. Anyway, she had told herself it couldn't be that hard, following instructions, could it? They were designed to follow instructions, damn it. She read over the recipes again and tried not to panic as she realised the dishes were pretty complicated. Even though Alec had already bought all the ingredients for her and quickly gone over the instructions, she still felt completely out of her depth.

Zeva smelt and felt the agitation and panic in the room and looked over at her Mom. She saw the look on her Mom's face and knew something was wrong. Her Dad and Cade had left about three hours earlier so they could get to the airport on time.

Automatically, Zeva smiled thinking about Cade. He was such a dumbass. She smiled and shook her head affectionately. She didn't really understand him. He annoyed the hell out of her during the day. Yet he was a different person at night. He had begun sleeping with her at night when their parents had gone to the convention for the weekend. Once their parents were back from the weekend convention, she hadn't expected him to carry on with his nightly display of affection towards her as he comforted her and cuddled her when she got scared because of her nightmares but she had been wrong. He hadn't stopped silently sneaking into her bedroom at night and getting in beside her without uttering a single word. It was a silent unsaid arrangement between them. He didn't mention it to her during the day. And, she noticed he hadn't told anyone about it either.

The first few times, she had felt awkward and had tensed. But, now she was used to feeling him slip into the bed beside her. Every night, she didn't allow herself to go to sleep until she felt his strong arms wrap around her. Only then, she let herself surrender to sleep. She didn't have as many bad nightmares anymore because she felt safe with him. Her instincts recognised him as surely as they would recognise a mate. She sighed as this thought hit her. Thinking of Cade as a mate was just a dream which would never come true for her. She knew this. She was defective. He would never want her as a mate, no one would.

Zeva dismissed her thoughts and went to the kitchen area to ask her Mom what was wrong. Using her usual method of communication, she started firing questions at her. '_What's up, Mom?'_ She wrote down on the notepad and turned it over so her Mom could read it.

'Nothing, honey. Just all this cooking, you know. I'm not good at this. Normally, your Dad does it all so I've never really bothered learning past the basics.' Max tried to smile at her daughter despite her lousy mood and frustration at the turkey and chicken drum sticks which were cooking in the oven. 'Now, I'm scared I'm going to screw up here. Honey, you haven't met Dean. That guy loves food as much as Mole loves his cigars.'

Zeva smiled at her new Mom. She turned the notepad back to herself and wrote. _'Mom, I can help. I use to help my other Mom cook. I am good at cooking desserts. I can make the desserts. Mom, please. The girls are playing on the games console so I have nothing to do anyway.'_

Max read what Zeva had written and chewed her bottom lip mulling whether to take her up on her offer. Finally, she decided it would be better to accept help than to stuff up royally and give Alec and Dean the opportunity to make fun of her. 'Okay, honey. You can bake the apple pie and the chocolate cake. I'll do the rest.' She beamed at her angel in disguise, feeling somewhat relieved. Getting the sudden urge to cuddle her daughter, she leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Zeva beamed at her in return.

'Dad, when are they getting out? The plane landed ages ago.' Cade paced in the airport lounge, feeling extremely anxious.

'Relax, Cade. You know Dean hates flying. He's probably asked for some CPR from a hot air hostess for compensation.' Alec felt a slap on his shoulder and turned around to find the man himself quirking his eyebrows amusedly at him. 'Dean!' He said biting his bottom lip as if being caught doing something wrong. He wrapped his big brother in an affectionate hug.

'Alec.' The old hunter broke the hug after a few long minutes and slapped his youngest brother on his back to make the hug acceptable to all who were present and keep his reputation for being a badass intact. 'It's good to see you. Did I just hear CPR and hot air hostesses in the same sentence? You shouldn't say these things so publicly. Might get me hurt.' Dean grinned and winked at Alec.

'Hurt?' Alec raised an eyebrow in question, his lips twitching at his brother's wide eyed terrified look as if he'd just remembered something hurtful.

Dean heard Sam snort beside him and say, 'Yeah, he means, hurt by Cas. Dean doesn't dare look at anyone in that way anymore. Not since last time anyway.' Sam said matter-of-factly which resulted in his nephew, Cade, sniggering and making Dean go red in embarrassment.

'Who can blame you, Dean? Cas shouldn't have been so possessive.' Alec retorted sympathetically. 'Sometimes I think Max and Cas are definitely related. I am sure she gives him tips on how to keep you in line.' He tilted his head towards Dean and laughed at his own joke. Dean nodded amusedly in agreement.

'Sam, will you check we have everything and carry the bags, will ya? Being cooped up like that for 15 hours was hell. I'm not feeling so good.' Dean whined. He frowned looking at the bags on the trolley and then levelled his gaze at his brother. The younger hunter was now busy holding his nephew in a bone-crunching hug. Sam was affectionately rubbing Cade's back and telling him how much he had missed him. Nothing less could be expected of Sam. The little emo bitch had never had a problem expressing himself and his feelings. Dean huffed in annoyance as he moved over to his hugging family members.

Dean guided his nephew out of his little brother's arms and gave him a tight hug. Keeping his arms around him, he nuzzled Cade's neck the way he had seen his family members do countless times, due to their animal DNA. 'I've missed you, kid.' He whispered it in Cade's ear, not wanting his brothers to hear it. They wouldn't let him live it down if they knew he was having a self-initiated chick flick moment because they knew it was his way of admitting his love. He felt a lump form in his throat. He cleared his throat and winked at Cade as he pulled away giving his shoulder a final squeeze. 'You've grown since I last saw you.'

Cade shrugged. 'And you look way older since I last saw you. Am I seeing grey hair and wrinkles? Oh my god, I think I am.' He replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes. He knew his Uncle hated being called old.

Dean pouted and clutched his heart, doing his best to feign hurt. 'Cade, you hurt my feelings. I think I need one of those hugs you give your Auntie Sammy.' He looked over at his brothers and saw Alec was being subjected to the same bone-crunching hug Sam had given to his son before him.

Sam had heard Dean. 'Dean, you're such a jerk.' He gritted his teeth.

'And you're such a bitch.' Dean flashed him a toothy smile.

'Dude, seriously…' Sam started, his bitch face firmly in place.

Alec knew what was coming. 'Hey, hey, hey…guys, come on. Let's go home. People are looking at us.' Alec interjected and got in between his older brothers who were having a stare match. 'Cade, carry the bags to the car.'

Having had no sleep for the past 24 hours, Dean decided to make use of the backseat and got in with his nephew so he could stretch out and catch some shut-eye in the five hour drive. He didn't have to wait for sleep to overcome him as he passed out of exhaustion as soon as he lay down with his legs resting over Cade's lap.

Sam and Alec kept a steady stream of conversation going but it was hard to talk about something properly because they had to whisper so to not wake Dean up.

Cade just kept quiet and listened to his Dad and Uncle talking about the latest developments in their lives. Apparently, Cas couldn't make it because he had been given some heavenly duties which he had to take care of. His Uncle Dean hadn't been too happy about this but had to accept it as a downside to being in love with an angel. Cade still had problems thinking that angels existed even though he'd practically lived all his life knowing Cas. In fact, he had a problem with believing in anything that was Supernatural although he knew those things did exist. He just found the whole thing to be miraculous and incredible.

As the minutes ticked by, Cade found himself checking the time repeatedly. He wanted to get back home. He was missing his pack females, more so Zeva than the others. He, now, spent most of his waking and sleeping hours around her. So, being far from her for a couple of hours made him uneasy and he missed her. Though, he would never admit this to anyone. He found it hard enough admitting it to himself.

Since he had fixed things with her, their relationship had been somewhat confusing. He was never sure what she was thinking. He didn't dare do something that might upset her because he didn't want her to ignore him again like last time. Recently, he had realized he couldn't stop thinking about her as a mate. He knew it was wishful thinking on his part because she was too good for him. She would never want him as a mate but still he couldn't stop his mind from conjuring up fantasies of her. Fantasies, which usually led to him getting hard and having to run off to take cold showers and jerk himself off. He was never fully satisfied. He couldn't bang any other girl anymore because he knew it would be useless, wouldn't help. Since the only girl who could satisfy his need would never be able to, he was doomed. Shutting up his inner monologue, he tried to clear his head of those kind of thoughts because he didn't know how he would explain a hard-on to his Uncle who was resting his legs over his lap. So, to kill time and take his mind off Zeva, he droned out the voices coming from the front of the car and let sleep conquer him.

'Dean, how is the food for you? Zeva and I made it.' Max asked her brother-in-law, as Dean always liked to point out was his relation to her. Alec passed her his plate and she piled a second-helping of apple pie into his plate for him.

After the warm welcome the guys got from the females when they got home from the airport, the family sat down to eat dinner because the guys had moaned that they were starving and couldn't wait, having smelt all the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. They were all now on the final course of their three course menu.

'I think Alec doesn't need to cook ever again. Everything is delicious. Max, sweetheart, you have outdone yourself. If only Cas could have come too then this pie could have been put to some other uses too.' Dean smacked his lips appreciatively as he scooped another mouthful into his spoon.

'Dean, the kids are at the table.' Sam said disbelievingly and made a bitch face.

'They don't understand what I'm saying. Girls, did you understand what I said about your Uncle Cas?' Dean looked pointedly at his twin nieces. They shook their head in response, looking all innocent with their wide eyes. His heart melted at the cute sight, making him reach over and ruffle their hair, lovingly.

Cade tried to reach for the chocolate sauce on the table but found it to be out of reach. 'Zeva, can you please pass me the chocolate sauce?' She glared at him before grabbing it from her side of the table and practically throwing it at him. He rolled his eyes and squirted heaps of sauce on his pie and chocolate cake. 'Mom, this pie is amazing. The cake's good too. But, this pie is to die for.' He said around mouthful of pie.

'The kid is right. I think the pie is the best I've ever had. I can't believe you made it. I'm gonna send Cas to you for cooking lessons.' Dean said around his own mouthful, agreeing with his nephew.

Sam and Alec nodded in agreement. The twin girls giggled, the effects of their high sugar intake were obvious. Zeva was blushing.

Max looked over at Zeva and smiled encouragingly. 'I didn't make the dessert, guys. This course was wholly made by Zeva. She baked the pie and the cake. Without her, there wouldn't have been any dessert today. I sure as hell can't bake any cakes or pies. You should be grateful to her.'

'Really? Wow. Kiddo, you really are a great cook.' Dean beamed at the silent embarrassed girl. His heart had broken, seeing her for the first time. The kid had been through so much pain in such a small age.

They all turned in for the night, soon after dinner. All had been tired from the day's events.

As usual, Cade slipped out of his own bedroom and went to Zeva's, around midnight. He got in bed beside her and felt her move closer to him. He knew she was awake. She was always awake as if waiting for him. She didn't sleep until he was lying down beside her. For the first time, he broke the silence.

He leaned over and nuzzled her neck. 'I loved the desserts. You don't know how much I appreciate a decent pie.' He whispered in her ear.

Cade heard her breath hitch and he turned her so she was on her back. Leaning over her, he got close to her, invading her personal space. He looked in her eyes for some indication of what she was feeling. He tried not to use his animal side. He saw desire and uncertainty. 'I wanna show you how much I appreciate it.' Before he lost his nerve, he closed the gap between them and kissed her.

To his surprise, she not only responded but she held on to him whilst he deepened the kiss. When they broke apart for air, she quickly turned and moved him so that he was under her, on his back. She gave him a shy look when he peered at her. She buried her face in his neck and wrapped an arm around his stomach.

Cade didn't know what to feel. All he knew was he felt something so powerful when she wrapped herself around him, almost shyly. And, the feeling was amazing, beautiful and something pure. She had never initiated any physical contact at night before. It had always been him who had wrapped his arms around her trembling form and spooned himself with her. Today, she was resting her head next to his heart and lying wrapped around him by her own choice. Did this mean she felt the same for him or did she just want comfort? He didn't know. But, he sure as hell was going to find out.

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**A/N; hey, guys, i see only a few reviews for last chapter....am i losing my touch? i really wanna know if i am still writing good... and *bonus* points to those of you who tell me what you thought of the winchesters' inclusion...did it live up to your expectations??? if you think something could be improved pls tell me wot....i am open to criticism and requests...**

**P.S. Dean + Sam + Alec + Cade = h/c + humor moments in nxt ch...the more reviews i get the more motivated i get;)**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N; I have realized I need to clarify ages…So, here goes…Alec is around 37/38 and Max is 36/37 (Manticore wasn't big on telling ages), Dean is 46 (he was around 8 yrs old when he ended up in a clinic and his blood was used without consent by Manticore) and Sam is 42…We will assume Sarah****, Sam's wife, is 38 yrs old and Gabe, their son, is 19 mnths old…(but won't be much mention coz they aren't important to this story)**

**Thanks for all the reviews....Many of you didn't like Dean/Cas pairing but after hell i think Dean can only love Cas....(doesn't make him a gay, Cas is an angel and the only guy Dean has ever loved lol) **

Ch 15 –

Dean woke up to a silent dark house. He checked the time. The bedside digital clock read, 6.34 a.m. He always took a few days adjusting to the change in time zone, unlike Sam. He realized he wouldn't be going back to sleep. He was wide awake and he didn't feel tired anymore. All he wanted now was a cup of some of the strong coffee Alec imported from Brazil especially for those who appreciated the drink. He got up, stretching and yawning as his feet hit the floor.

Looking over at his younger brother, he let a smile break out on his face. Sam was out for the count and snoring like he had no care in the world. His younger brother could sleep anywhere. He had slept through most of the journey on the plane as well.

Lately, Sam hadn't been sleeping peacefully. It was more of a restless sleep. Though he didn't admit it, Dean knew that it was because Sam was worried about Sarah and Gabe. But the worry lines were not evident on his little brother's face now. It seemed being with both his brothers had eased Sam. Although there was nothing to worry about, Dean understood Sam's feelings. He himself felt concern every time Cas was away from him. It was something instinctual. His youngest brother Alec had once tried to explain instincts to them but where Sam had lapped up the new information and knowledge like the geek that he was, he hadn't paid much attention.

Dean grabbed his towel and silently made his way to the bathroom in the hall. He decided it was best to get ready before Sam or the kids decided to hog the bathroom. Alec had offered the master bedroom to them, the first time they had come to visit because it had an en-suite bathroom but they had refused and rightly so. He had no problem sharing with the rest of the family and he knew Sam didn't either. The bathroom was heaven compared to the usual small, cramped, and dirty bathrooms he and Sam shared when they were on the road, hunting.

Taking his time, Dean emerged from the bathroom fully dressed a full forty minutes later. He went to drop his towel off in his room. Smirking at Sam's sleeping form, he reached for a plastic spoon he found in his duffel. He stuck it in the sleeping beauty's open mouth and took photos on his cell phone for later blackmail. Shaking his head in amusement, he took the spoon out and threw it in the dustbin before leaving. Only one destination on his mind. The kitchen and the coffee machine in there.

Finding the prospect of spending some quality time with a member of his family appealing, he decided to check on the kids to see if someone was awake. Usually, Lima was awake. He knew she didn't sleep much, thanks to her Mom's DNA. Opening the twins' bedroom door, he expected to be greeted with a pair of glowing cat-like eyes as had happened countless times before. Today, however, there were no eyes keeping an eye out on the door for danger. Instead, he found both of his little girls curled up in their bed on their respective sides of their room. He drank the cute sight in and stored it in the recesses of his mind for later. Mindful of their sensitive hearing, he slowly shut the door. His next stop was his nephew's room. To his surprise, the room was empty. He couldn't for the life of him think of a time Cade had left early in the morning without seeing them whilst they were visiting.

Outside Zeva's room, Dean hesitated. He debated with himself whether it was okay to check on her or not. The kid was part of the family now so she wouldn't have a problem if he checked on her, would she? It wouldn't be invasion of privacy, would it? Alec had once said that in their species, once they made someone family, their pack, then they meant it in every way possible and for life. So, that meant he could treat her like he treated the other kids. Because he was a member of this pack, that made her his pack too. Hell, he was her most badass and coolest Uncle. Sammy, sure as hell wasn't. He had the right to check on her. Having made his mind up, he opened the door.

The sight that met Dean sent him in shock. Stunned, he looked on at the two teenagers of his household, who were sleeping in a very intimate position. They looked like a couple or mates or whatever the hell two people in love and sharing a bed looked like.

Dragging his mind back to the sight in front of him, he grunted. So, this was where Cade had gone. He couldn't help the smile from splitting his face, when he saw Zeva move in Cade's arms, resulting in his nephew burying his head in the crook of her neck and instinctively tightening his arms around her. Despite himself, Dean couldn't help the _Aww_ that slipped from his mouth.

He left the couple and went to the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee. Settling down in front of the tele with his cup, he took a sip of the hot drink and moaned in appreciation when it hit his throat.

He'd not been sat for long when Max came into the room. After muttering a tired greeting, she gave him a hug and a kiss on his cheek before moving onto the kitchen area to make breakfast for everyone.

Dean switched the tele off and followed his sister-in-law. Sitting down a kitchen stool, he nodded when she pointed at his empty cup as she clutched the coffee pot. She re-filled his cup. He took a sip and smiled at her. 'So, how's things?' He started the conversation with his usual question.

'You tell me. Even with all the abuse, Alec still insists he loves me. I now have four kids rather than three without having to go through the pain again. And, now my beloved brother-in-law is about to grill me as per usual when he visits. Life can't get any better, can it?' Max said with a playful lilt to her voice. She smirked and raised her eyebrow at Dean as she mixed the ingredients for the chocolate chip pancakes she always made when Alec's brothers came home. It had become a family tradition.

Dean laughed out loud. The girl didn't know it but she had comedic talent. Well, he thought she was funny anyway even if no one else did. But then, others never really saw this Max. They only saw their leader who was a kickass, angry, aggressive, and very intimidating chick. He smirked at his own musings. 'I'd say things seem to be going great for my girl.' He winked at her.

Max shook her head in amusement. 'Yeah, Dean. You know me. I'm a pretty lucky girl.' She rolled her eyes, flipping a pancake.

'On a more serious note, Max, how is the new kid coping? Alec told me she was completely unresponsive before she began coming out of her shell.' Dean leveled a sad look at Max and noticed her expression mirror his own.

Max sighed. 'Yeah. She went into her instincts. It was Alec all over again. You know, when that bastard White tortured him for information about me. He closed himself off. And, Zeva saw her parents burn in front of her and she closed off.' She shuddered at the memory. She saw Dean's eyes cloud as he remembered that time too. Reaching forward over the kitchen counter, she squeezed his hand. Dean loved his little brothers and the thought of either of them in pain tore a piece in his heart, she was aware of this.

Dean cleared his throat of the lump that was quickly forming there at the horrific memories of his baby brother's lifeless eyes looking blankly at him. An image of a lifetime ago came forefront in his mind. He tensed up when he had a sudden flashback of his Mom burning before his eyes. He understood how the little girl must've felt. Squeezing Max's hand back, he let go and took a sip of his coffee. 'When did Zeva start responding?' He saw Max's lips twitch.

That's when Alec came in the kitchen. He squeezed Dean's shoulder affectionately as he said, 'Morning, guys.' Moving over to his mate, he took a quick sip of her coffee before making a face at the milky sweet taste. He nuzzled Max's neck and kissed her passionately, only breaking the kiss when Max pushed him off and smacked him upside his head. 'Ow, seriously, Maxie…what was that for?' Alec asked her, feigning anger.

Dean laughed and shook his head at their antics. He knew the couple had the tendency to show their affection in a sadistic manner.

Max quirked her eyebrow and ignored her mate's hurt look. He was now sat on the stool beside his brother, sulking with an adorable pout marring his face. 'She responded to Cade first.' Max said going back to the conversation she was having with Dean before Alec walked in. 'One morning, I went in Zeva's room to find Cade sleeping with her. As you know, sleeping with pack isn't unusual. But Alec and I didn't think it was appropriate for Cade to sleep with a girl who was same age and had no clue what he was doing to her. We asked him, what the hell he was doing there. It was then that he told us that he'd smelt fear and crying. So, he had checked on the twins and then her.' She stopped to look at Dean for his reaction. His face was hard to read. She took a deep breath and continued. 'Zeva had been having a nightmare. And, when he woke her up, she wanted him to stay because she'd felt scared.' Max smiled as she remembered how Cade had instinctively tightened his arms around the girl when she had entered the room.

'The kids like her, I noticed.' Dean nodded at his own assessment. He cast his eyes downward and pretended disinterest as he inquired. 'Does Cade still sleep with Zeva?' He felt Alec tense up beside him. He glanced over at him to see his baby brother playing with his cup and not meeting his eye.

'No. I wouldn't allow it anyway. You know how he is, Dean. He is too interested in girls for his young age. It depresses me to admit to this but I have given birth to one of the horniest teenagers in the nation. He takes advantage of the girls who are willing to believe him when he tells them how much they mean to him. I won't allow Cade anywhere near Zeva unless there is a damn emergency.' Max was horrified at the idea of Cade still sharing her hurt innocent little angel's bed.

Dean huffed. It figured. He'd had a feeling Max wouldn't know about it. Or she'd throw a fit. Alec, on the other hand, he wasn't so sure about. His baby brother could be a silent, sly and observant little bastard when he put his mind to it. Alec always knew what was going on under his nose even if everyone else thought he didn't. Alec was a lot like him in that respect. 'Max, I doubt Cade would take advantage of Zeva. He cares about her. I could tell the moment I first saw them together.'

'He cares about all good-looking girls who are legal.' Max countered.

'Cade doesn't deceive those girls. How many times do I have to tell you this, Max? The girls, who Cade supposedly takes advantage of, know the score. They are just delusional. They think they can change him, make him love them if they willingly sleep with him. But, it doesn't work like that. It's not his fault, they're dumb.' Alec defended his son, feeling rather angry at Max. He always felt indignant every time Max decided to blame Cade for his irresistibility. After all, he looked like his Dad. Why wouldn't he be the hottest guy?

'I'm just saying that he doesn't have to take advantage of them if he knows that they won't refuse him.' Max argued, her eyes blazing and her cheeks red. She knew she wasn't going to win this argument because she was one against two now.

'Those girls find him irresistible. Just like girls used to find me hot. Some of them still do. But having you as my mate hasn't helped my image.' Alec responded like the true smart-ass that he was.

'I agree.' Dean chimed in. 'It's not the kid's fault he has inherited the good looks from us in the family.' He smirked, pointing at himself and Alec. This caused Alec to beam at him and high-five him in a show of victory.

'Leave Max alone, you guys.' Sam came into the kitchen, looking refreshed from his shower. He quickly gave her a hug and kiss before rounding the counter and sitting down beside Alec on the third and final stool after giving his little brother a hug.

Dean winked at Alec and mocked Sam. 'Oh, look the bitch is here. Now, we have two bitches against two guys of awesomeness.'

'Oh, shut your trap, jerk.' Sam bitch-faced.

'Guys, you want some pancakes?' Max asked in a warning tone. All three nodded their heads vigorously. 'Then shut up, will you?' They went quiet, watching her nervously. 'Thought so.' She smiled, feeling powerful for being able to shut them up. But then, it wasn't a surprise really. All the boys in her pack were foodies.

Dean saw Sam check his watch. 'Sam, why don't you give Sarah a call?'

'Yeah. She can't be in bed yet. And, give love to Gabe from me.' Alec added.

'From me too.' Max added.

Sam nodded. 'Yeah, I think I will. I won't get a chance later. I promised Mila and Lima, I was going to give them their presents and we're going over to Biggs' and Joshua's.'

After two days of the Winchester brothers doing their usual stops at the homes of some of their close friends in Deania, they were looking forward to just spending the rest of days with their family. Part of which needed to be spent organizing Cade's birthday. For which they had made their annual trip a little early this year.

At the moment, the family was having their evening meal. Max didn't usually talk much but listening to the chaotic conversations over the table from different members of the pack was giving her a headache. She decided it was time to end the multiple streams of discussions.

'What do you want for your birthday, Cade? It's your 16th birthday so I'll let you have whatever you want.' Max felt she was being more than generous. She saw her son's eyes light up.

'Really? I can have whatever I desire?' Cade asked with a huge smile splitting his face.

'Yeah, really.' Alec ruffled his ecstatic son's hair, adoringly.

Cade batted his Dad's hands away from his head and ducked his head when Lima took a swipe at him. 'Well, then, I want a hot date with Adriana Lima.' He declared, grinning. He licked his lips at the thought of the sexy VS angel.

'Oh yeah. She's one hot mama.' Alec agreed, appreciatively. This won him a threat of ass-kicking and bunking on the couch for the night from his pissed mate, Max. To which, he responded by leaning against her and marking her on her shoulder with a gruff, 'No one's hotter than you, Maxie.'

'Actually, now that we're on the subject of the hottest models in the planet, I've realized who Zeva reminds me of.' Dean said, thoughtfully. He looked over at the surprised little girl and smiled at her. The kid looked horrified. 'You know when I first saw you, sweetheart, I thought god that kid looks like someone. And now I know.' Dean said as he took a huge bite out of his fish cake.

Zeva nervously waited for her new Uncle to tell her who he thought she looked like. He was taking awfully long in providing his answer. In her impatience, she quickly scribbled down a note for Mila to read out. Mila always sat next to her now because she liked reading her notes out loud to everyone. She passed the note to Mila to read.

Mila jumped in her chair, enthusiastically and read out loud. 'Uncle Dean, Zeva wants to know who you think she looks like.'

'I think she looks like Doutzen Kroes. That model has blue eyes and blonde hair too. Zeva looks like a younger and a better-looking sister of hers.' Dean said matter-of-factly. Everyone started to consider the resemblance and agreed that there might be truth to the claim. However, Cade had a problem with his Uncle's opinion.

'No. No way. Doutzen is hot. She is one of the hottest VS angels. Zeva has nothing on her.' Cade denied hotly.

Zeva felt anger course through her body at the way Cade was defending a model over her. She wasn't going to put up with this. She wrote down her reply and gave it to Mila to read out.

'Well, I don't want to look like any models anyway.' Mila read her response.

So, the fight of words began, much to the amusement of the rest of the family.

'You couldn't look like one if you tried.' Cade scoffed.

'That's true. Uncle Dean said I'm better-looking.' Mila read the next note.

Cade couldn't believe the nerve of the infuriating female. 'In your dreams. You can't even be a bad version of a VS model because you don't have the looks or the body.'

'At least, I have a brain, which can't be said for your models. That's why they have to use their looks to make a name for themselves.' Mila laughed out loud after reading the note.

Everyone at the dining table laughed. Max ruffled a smiling and triumphant-looking Zeva's hair affectionately and Lima reached forward and high-fived her.

That's it. Cade had had enough. 'Yeah, well, at least my favourite models are perfect, not a defective freak like you.' Immediately, he realized his mistake. A deafening silence descended on the table. He looked around the table at his family. There were identical sad shocked looks marring their faces. All the adults looked disappointed in him. His little sisters were gaping at him. The girl in question was chewing on her bottom lip. She was going to damage her beautiful full lips, she was biting so hard. Her eyes had slipped downwards but not before he caught the look of hurt and rejection in her eyes.

He wanted to make it right. He hadn't meant it. As far as he was concerned, she was the most perfect female in the world. The most bizarre thing was that he'd kill anyone else if they had said this to her. Yet, he had not thought twice before he had said it himself. And, now he couldn't bring himself to say sorry. He knew sorry wouldn't cut it. Even if it did, he wasn't prepared to show it to anyone that he cared about her.

Zeva felt her heart breaking. She was trying not to cry. But, it was so hard to keep her emotions under wraps. She swallowed thickly. Her eyes stung. For a moment, she thought she could laugh it off, the way she did when others said things about her. This was different though. She pushed her half-full plate away and got up. She silently walked out of the room, not seeing or hearing anyone anymore. She didn't want to feel anything. It hurt so much. She shut herself up in her bedroom and tried to unsuccessfully claw her way back to the white room. It had been so peaceful there. No one could hurt her there. She couldn't feel there.

She heard the others telling Cade to apologize to her. She didn't want him to. He had only said what he really felt about her. And, what he had called her was in fact the truth. She should be the one apologizing. After all, she had insulted someone he loved. She hadn't known that he loved some models. She didn't even know those models. She had meant it as a joke. She had been sorry when she had realized that it wasn't a joke to him. But, she couldn't say it to him because of her defect. A sob escaped her at the word. It was true though, she was defective. She shouldn't cry over her imperfection.

She was aware of the whispers about her and she had seen all the looks of pity the other transgenics cast her way. But, what had kept her strong was the belief that her new family didn't think she was defective. She had never given it a second's thought before. However, she now realized they only adopted her because no one else would've wanted her. Her new parents were the leaders of Deania. They hadn't had a choice. They couldn't have let her live alone. She hadn't had a home or a pack. The only solution would have been to adopt her.

Sobbing at the realization that she had no one in the world who could ever love her due to her defects, she curled up in the middle of the bed. She remembered back to the time when girls had wanted to be her and boys had wanted to be with her. That was in another lifetime, another nation, another family, another pack.

***Flashback***

Zeva frowned at her scolding Mommy. 'Baby, you talk for the world. Do you know that?' The woman asked, shaking her head.

'She can be a politician when she grows up then.' Her Daddy winked at her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

'I don't want to be a politician.' The little blue-eyed girl pouted.

'What do you want to be then?' Her Daddy smiled at her after exchanging a look with his mate.

'A ninja. I am going to kick everyone's ass. So, maybe I can be a bodyguard for some son of a bitch.' Her Daddy laughed and ruffled her hair. But, her Mommy looked less impressed.

'Zeva! Watch your language. Seriously, my 10 yrs old girl has a sailor's mouth on her.' Her Mommy looked red.

'But, Mommy, I have met many sailors in my 10 yrs of life.' Zeva wisecracked.

'Can't I tell?' Her Mommy huffed.

***End of flashback***

Zeva opened her eyes when she felt a chill run down her spine. She looked around to see the room was dark and the house was silent. The bedside clock read 23.43 p.m. She had a blanket over her body. Someone had been in her room. She sniffed the air, trying to isolate the smells so she could tell who it had been. But, it was impossible. All her new pack smelled the same, apart from her Uncles.

She got out of bed and walked to the window. She missed her old life, old parents and old home. Everything had been so simple then. Nothing made sense anymore. She mournfully looked at the stars in the sky. She had heard ordinaries say that when people died, they went up to heaven which was up in the sky. She wondered if it was true for transgenics too.

She looked back at the time. And, smiled a teary sad smile. Fifteen minutes and her birthday would be up. She hadn't told anyone because her new family had never asked her about it and she hadn't thought it was important. It wasn't like she would celebrate anyway.

A thought occurred to her and she quickly dressed in her favourite leather pants and black vest. Slipping her black leather jacket on, she left her room with renewed determination.

Alec was sitting in his usual spot in the dark lounge. His eyes were trained on his older daughter's room. He knew how it felt to be called something hurtful from a member of one's own pack, own unit. When his twin, Ben, had turned psycho, his unit members had started calling him a psycho too. Although he had never loved his unit, he still had felt so much pain at their words. This was so much worse for her. She loved Cade. To have him call her a defective freak was so much more wounding. He'd seen the look on her face. It had been as if her world had been shattered. She had looked devastated.

He was brought back from his reverie when he saw Zeva's bedroom door open. Out came a fully dressed Zeva. The tears falling down her face and the dead look in her eyes, momentarily, took his breath away. At first, he thought she might just be wearing her jacket because she felt cold. Soon, her real reasons were evident. She was going out.

Silently, he got out of his chair. Remaining in shadows, he followed her. After a few minutes, he realized she was headed for the roof.

Zeva made her way up to the roof, feeling defeated. It was better for everyone if she wasn't here anymore. No one would miss her anyway. She needed to go to her parents who had loved her.

Once on the roof, she looked out over the horizon for the last time before shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath. She mouthed, 'I'm sorry.' Then, she opened her eyes and started walking to the edge of the building.

When Alec realized what she had on her mind, his finely tuned instincts went in over-drive. His eyes went wide in panic. The father, pack member and animal in him went into the protective mode as he sensed the danger.

Zeva knew she had no chance of surviving the fall. It was too high. The perfect distance for her purpose. A fitting end to her life. She had come in this world on this day, so she had to leave it on this day too. A full circle. She inhaled the cool air of the ocean the last time and nose-dived off the building.

* * *

**The more reviews I get, the faster you'll find out what happens next with our blue-eyed beauty....so press the button below, you know you want to...(btw, it's annoying when you get over a 100 hits for an update but only 4/5 reviews, it don't take long to review)...**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N; ****Thanks to the few who reviewed…**

**To answer Nichole's question, honey, inactive volcanoes sometimes do erupt without warning and more so when there has been no recorded eruption in the past because then warning signs are not read on time until it's too late…**

**And I dedicate this chapter to one of my most faithful reader/reviewer Lijakwe18, thanks honey, for your continued enthusiasm for this story and actually taking the time out to tell me about it…**

Ch 16 –

Just in time, Alec grabbed hold of a handful of Zeva's jacket as he skidded to a halt on the edge of his building. He forcefully pulled her towards himself, which resulted in both of them falling backwards onto the concrete roof. Alec cushioned her fall by wrapping his arms tightly around her and cradling her head in his hand. Now that she seemed to realize she'd been pulled back to safety, she started to shake like a leaf and was sobbing frenziedly.

'It's going to be okay, baby.' Alec murmured in a soft whisper against her head. Still holding Zeva in his arms, he got up off the floor. Balancing her more comfortably, he carried her back inside, making his way to the lounge in their home.

Getting to his favourite place on the couch, he sat down with his older daughter curled up in his lap. She was still sobbing her heart out. It tugged at his heartstrings. He rocked her and rubbed her back, trying to comfort her somehow. 'It's going to be okay. I promise.'

Zeva felt herself relax a little as her new Dad's soothing voice penetrated the haze of her pain and panic. She buried deeper in his strong arms and nuzzled his neck to get his scent in her nose. He kissed her head in response. She quieted down when she felt the familiarity of the gesture. Her Daddy used to hold her in his lap like this and kiss her on the head if she was sad or scared.

Slowly but surely, Alec felt the tension leave her twisted body. Her sobs turned into sniffles and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He cleared his throat before starting the talk which he didn't want to put her through but felt he had no choice but to. He couldn't have a repeat of what had happened or nearly happened on the roof. 'Zeva, why did you do that, baby? Don't Max and I treat you like our kid, huh? Don't we all love you enough?' He asked softly and then sighed deeply. 'If you don't already know then let me tell you. We all love you very much, Zeva. We would be devastated if something ever happened to you. I love you like I love Mila and Lima. I know Max does too. And, your sisters adore you. Do you think they'd be okay if you did something like that? Your Uncles love you too and they've only known you a few days. How can someone not love you? You're an angel…our angel. Just think how everyone would've felt if they had woken up to their angel being…' He broke off, feeling a lump form in his throat. Taking a sharp intake of breath, he ran a hand through his hair.

Listening to her Dad, Zeva felt a sudden rush of shame and guilt. Of course, he was right. Her adoptive family had treated her so well since she had come here. She was being ungrateful. In her selfishness, she hadn't thought twice about the effects of her actions on the family. She should've thought how her actions would ruin the nation's leaders' reputation and their status as the Alpha pack. Because, the other transgenics might've took advantage of the situation and blamed her actions on her adoptive family. And, it wouldn't have been their fault. It wasn't their fault that she felt her heart was bleeding, dying a slow death. She had just wanted to put it out of its damn misery.

Alec pulled away from her slightly and looked down into her sad watery eyes. He was well aware that although she needed reassurance of her pack's love for her, she mostly wanted Cade's love and acceptance. 'Baby, Cade didn't mean it.' She tried to pull away from him, looking hurt at Cade's mention. He tightened his hold on her, so she couldn't leave. Silently cursing his son for always creating havoc and then expecting him to do damage control, he continued. 'He really cares about you.'

Alec felt Zeva tense up. 'He really does. That's why he sleeps with you. So, you don't feel scared.' She gave him a surprised look at the mention of Cade's nightly visits to her. 'You both thought no one knew about that, didn't you?' He caught her blushing before she shyly hid her face in his chest. 'I've known since he started going to you at night. I didn't say anything because I thought that he was just trying to make you feel safe. He didn't do anything else, did he?' He felt the need to ask the question that had been playing on his mind for some time now. As a good Dad, he had to know if someone was taking advantage of his kid. He knew Cade wouldn't. Nevertheless, there was no harm in making sure.

Zeva heard the serious tone of her Dad and realized that he was expecting an answer. Did kissing constitute as that something else? Even if it did, she wasn't going to tell her Dad that she had succumbed to his damn seduction too, just like the other girls. She had tried so hard to not allow him to kiss her again. It hadn't worked. He had still managed to kiss her whenever he wanted. And, the worst thing was she didn't stop him, instead she had kissed him back. She'd bet her life that he'd probably laughed at her inexperience. It would've shown in the way she kissed. She had had no clue how to kiss. She was brought back from her trance when she heard her Dad calling her name repeatedly, sounding panicked. Her Dad was possibly thinking she was trying to tell him that Cade had tried something. A part of her wanted him to think that and punish Cade because it would serve him right. But, the part of her that still loved him couldn't, despite his hurtful words. She quickly peered up at her Dad. Meeting his eyes, she shook her head.

Alec let out the breath he didn't know he was holding when he got his response. For a minute there, he had thought she was trying to tell him something dreadful. 'Okay, that's good.' He said, relieved. 'It's late. Let's get you to bed.' He lifted her as he stood up and started to make his way to her bedroom.

'Alec, what's happening?' Max asked, yawning. She fell into step beside Alec and Zeva. Instincts had woken her up. She had felt her mate's anguish and fear as surely as a loud call to her soul. 'Hey, honey, are you okay?' She asked, smiling at the little girl and reaching forward to stroke her hair. Something told her that Alec's feelings had been related to their new daughter. Patiently, she followed them to Zeva's bedroom where she and Alec tucked their daughter into bed after getting rid of her jacket, pants and shoes.

Once, they were out in the hall, out of Zeva's room and vicinity of her hearing range. Alec leveled a serious intense look at his mate. 'Maxie, she tried to jump off the building.' He managed to squeak out.

'She, what?' Max did a double-take.

'Thank god, I was keeping a watch over the kids' rooms from the lounge.' Alec saw Max roll her eyes.

She knew about his tendency to keep a watch over the kids if he was awake. She gave him a nod in understanding and moved over to him. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she asked. 'And?'

Alec swallowed the lump in his throat and continued telling her the details of what could have possibly been the most tragic event in their lives, had he not been in time. 'I saw her leave. She was fully dressed, so I knew she was going outside. I followed her. She didn't go far, just the roof. When I got there, she was thinking, no actually, she was walking to the edge with the intention of nose-diving off the building.' He saw Max open and close her mouth like a fish. 'Maxie, I was just in time. If I had been a second late…' He shook his head, not being able to finish what he wanted to say due to the emotions that were threatening to overcome him.

Max felt a tear escape her eye. She wiped it away and shut her eyes to compose herself. Glad that she was holding onto her anchor, her love and her strength, she squeezed him in her tight hug. Her mother instincts had woken her up, she understood now. 'I should sleep with her tonight.' She looked at him in askance. He nodded. He leaned forward and kissed her passionately.

'I love you, B.' He kissed her again, using his secret nickname for her.

'Love you too, C.' She smiled at him, tears shimmering in her eyes. She pulled away and then went to her daughter's room to sleep.

Max found Zeva curled up like a fetus in a corner of her bed. She was crying and trying really hard to hide it. Max felt her heart hurt at the sight. Max lay down beside her and pulled her in her arms. 'Shhh…baby, I'm here. Mommy loves you. Shhh…'

Danger. Cade had sat up in his bed. Looking around, he had tried to sense what the problem was. What was wrong? If his family was in danger, how come his Dad hadn't alerted him. Zeva. Realizing that he had a new family member who his Dad might not be able to sense, he had blurred out of his bed. He had been about to get out of his room, when he had seen his parents with Zeva. His Dad had been carrying Zeva who had her face hiding in his neck.

Cade had felt an overwhelming surge of anger. Zeva was his. He should've been the one comforting her. Instinctively, he had moved forward but then he had abruptly stopped. Remembering the nasty words he had called her earlier at dinner, he had moved back in his room. Standing behind the closed door, he had waited for his parents to come out of her room. He had needed to know what had happened to wake his danger instincts and make him restless. A few minutes later, he had his answer. Unable to move, he had fallen to the ground and leant his back against the door for support. He had nearly lost her. How dare she do that to him? Did she really think he could live without her? If she did think that then she was wrong. That was when he had realized the depth of his own feelings for her. He had finally admitted to himself, he was in love with Zeva.

At 7.00 a.m. the next morning, Alec gave up on trying to sleep. He had suffered a restless night, thinking about his hurting daughter and his stubborn son. He got up and ready. Then, he went around checking on everyone. Everyone was asleep apart from Dean. Alec wasn't surprised.

He found his big brother in kitchen making coffee. 'Morning.' Alec greeted and squeezed his brother's shoulder gently.

'Morning. What are you doing up so early? It's usually Max who wakes up first.' Dean raised his eyebrow, inquiringly.

'Couldn't sleep. Anyway, Maxie is sleeping with Zeva.' Alec shrugged, grabbing a cup and filling it up with the freshly-made coffee from the pot. He took a massive gulp without waiting for it to cool. The heat soothed him somehow.

'Woah, drink slowly. You'll burn your tongue.' Dean scolded. He moved to go to sit in the lounge with his coffee. Alec followed him closely behind. Sitting down, he got a closer look at Alec. His youngest brother looked like a bleary-eyed kitten who was hurt. 'What's up, kitten?' He used his secret term of endearment for his youngest brother.

Alec took a deep breath and told his brother. 'Last night, I caught Zeva…' He was cut short by the sound of footsteps. Moments later, a freshly showered Sam came into view. That was quick. Sam had been asleep when he had checked. Sam grabbed a cup of coffee and then made his way to them when he noticed them.

'Morning.' Sam smiled a tight smile. He hoped he hadn't interrupted something. Although his brothers had never said it or shown it to him, he was aware of their special bond. Maybe it was because Alec had been cloned from Dean's blood, so they understood each other like no other. He knew Dean treated Alec differently when they were alone and Alec did the same.

'Morning, bitch.' Dean replied, smirking.

'Morning, Sam. Sleep well?' Alec wasn't in the mood to laugh with Dean.

Dean noticed this. He exchanged a serious look with Sam. They had one of their silent conversations that the Winchesters were famous for. 'Alec, you were going to tell me something.' Dean said in a serious tone.

Alec began again. 'Last night, I was sat here and I saw Zeva leave. She was fully dressed so I followed her. She didn't see me obviously. Anyway, she went to the rooftop and was going to jump off the building. I got there just in time. I grabbed her in flight. If she had slipped from my fingers…' He kept his eyes averted from his brothers'. He couldn't meet their eyes. He was scared he would find them to be disappointed in him. He had failed as a father to make his daughter happy.

Dean moved closer so he was sat beside Alec. He saw his brother's fear of his brothers' judgment. 'Alec, it wasn't your fault.' He put his arm around Alec's shoulders and pulled him closer. 'We'll get to the bottom of this. We'll find out why that beautiful kid felt the need to end her own life. It'll be okay, I promise.' He reassured his kitten and tried to comfort him.

Alec felt the tension that was coiled around each and every inch of his muscles leave him at Dean's comforting words. He believed his big brother. If Dean said it'd be okay then it would. 'How are we going to find out? I can't ask her.'

Sam spoke for the first time. 'Sometimes, it just takes a word to drive a person over the edge.' He looked at his brothers with a sad look on his face. He knew the feeling of wanting to end it all. He had nearly done it once, a few years back. And, his brothers knew. 'It was because Cade called her a defective freak.'

'He's just trying to hide his feelings for her.' Dean defended his nephew.

'That's no excuse to be mean.' Alec gritted out.

'You know I have noticed she carries a notebook with her as well as her notepad.' Sam narrowed his eyes, lost in his thoughts.

'And, you think it's important?' Dean asked Sam, dumbly and then seeing Sam's resulting bitch-face, he caught on. 'It is important. You think it's a journal?' Sam nodded, rolling his eyes and huffing. The little bitch. Dean smiled at his brothers and declared in a cheery tone. 'Right, we'll steal it.'

'She keeps it on her all the time.' Alec's shoulders sagged.

'Sammy, take the girls to the mall or somewhere today. She'll have to leave it home. Me and Alec will steal it and read it. We'll tell you what it says. Alec can memorize it.' Dean shrugged.

'Dean, that's wrong. You shouldn't go through someone's personal stuff.' Sam bitch-faced.

'Shut it, Sasquatch. You're the one who gave me the idea. Now, don't blame me.' Dean pointed out.

'You have no morals.' Sam said with a disgusted expression on his face.

'Yeah, that's why I got an angel to balance me out.' Dean quipped.

'Guys, can we get back to the issue here.' Alec rolled his eyes. Seriously, his brothers could never let an opportunity to bitch at each other pass. The two squabbling brothers looked extremely embarrassed to him as they shut up. 'Dean's right. We'll need to read what she's really thinking.' His brothers nodded, though Sam didn't look happy about the idea.

Later in the afternoon, Alec sneaked into Zeva's room and found her journal. Bringing it into his brother's room, he looked around nervously. No one was home except Dean and himself. Cade had gone to see Ryan and Max was at command. As agreed, Sam had taken Lima, Mila and Zeva to the shopping mall.

'Did you find it?' Dean asked from where he was perched up against his head-board.

Alec simply nodded. Walking to his brother's bed, he joined him, sitting beside him in an identical fashion. He opened the journal to the first page and read the date. He took a sharp breath. 'That's the first time she responded. She's been writing since she's been able to.'

The brothers started to read silently. There hearts breaking as they read. It was all too much. They felt tears in their eyes but trying to hide or downplay them was fruitless. There was no point. They both knew this was too serious a matter to pretend they didn't feel anything or that it didn't affect them. She was just a kid. A hurting kid who had been through so much in her life already but still had to put up with more crap. She had written about her struggle in the white room as she called it, the bullying at school, her fears, her love for her new pack, her loss, her guilt for not being able to save her parents, her feelings for Cade who she thought didn't like her at all. The last entry was the worst. The writing was scribbled and there were smutches on the page, evidence that she'd been crying when she wrote it.

_Dear diary,_

_It's been a bad day or maybe it was a good one. I found out some things that I have been blind to see. Since I came out of my instincts, I have heard many whispers about me. I have seen __transgenics look at me with pity. Both from this nation and the nation I came from. I never took notice because my pack didn't look at me like that. I never heard any whispers at home. I never questioned the reasons why they adopted me. But, today, something happened. It has made me realize I was only adopted because no one else would've wanted me. The Alpha pack had no choice but to adopt me. It doesn't mean they don't think I'm a defective freak just like all the others do. They must do. Cade does. He called me a defective freak at dinner. _

_It was my fault really. I insulted some models he loves. I shouldn't have. I have no right to.__ Anyway, he was right. I am defective. The others told him to apologize to me but I don't think he should. He meant what he said. All those times I thought he cares about me, were my delusions. I wanted him to care about me so that's what I saw. Everything he has ever done has been because he thinks I'm defective and he feels sorry for me. I don't want his pity. I don't want anyone's pity. _

_I shouldn't feel anything. It wasn't the first time I got called that. Then, why does it hurt so much? I feel like my heart has been pierced with a knife repeatedly and now it's bleeding out. I have tried to crawl back to the white room because I don't want to feel anymore. But it's not working._

_You know, it's my birthday today. I turned 16 yrs old. I guess my present was the __realizations of reality and to have the guy I love confirm what I already know that I will never be good enough for his love. The ordinaries say you should make wishes on birthdays. I have a wish too. I wish I didn't feel anymore. My new pack never asked me my birthday. They probably didn't care. But, that's okay because I wouldn't have celebrated anyway. I still love all my new pack even if they don't love me. It's okay. They treat me so good. It's alright if they don't love me. I even love my new Uncles. Uncle Sam always includes me in everything, and Uncle Dean who looks just like Daddy and Cade, is awesome as Ryan would say. I don't begrudge Cade for having parents who want his 16__th__ to be perfect, for having sisters who have been panicked for weeks because they want the present coming from them to be the best, and having Uncles who came from so far just for the occasion even though one Uncle hates flying. He's very lucky to have so many people who love him so much. _

_I thin__k I am going to sleep now. I don't have anything else to say. I'm tired of everything._

The entry seemed to break off. And, then a few lines down, was a scribbled note which was written so small that Alec had to read it out loud to Dean. It was so hard to read through his tears and tight throat.

Alec cleared his throat and tried to go into his soldier mode so he could perform the task. 'It says _'I woke up just now. Still 15 mins of my birthday left. I just had an idea. I think I will give myself a present. Ordinaries say dead people go to a place in sky called heaven which is beautiful. I don't know if transgenics go there too but if they do then that means Mommy and Daddy went up in the sky so I need to go there too. I'll go today. It would be the right thing to do. The day I leave this world should be the same day I came in this world…this is my last entry…thanks for being here for me…'_ Oh my god, are you still going to tell me it's not my fault?' Alec hated himself. He had been so wrapped up in the notion that he was being such a great Dad to her that he hadn't been paying attention to his real responsibilities. How did he not think of asking about her birthday? He'd been so focused on giving Cade the perfect 16th birthday that he hadn't given her a second's thought. And, she still thought they were deserving of her love. How was he going to make this better?

Dean had been through a lot in life, literally to hell and back, but what he felt right then for the suffering child was so powerful. He swallowed thickly. 'We'll make it right.' He said, determined.

'How?' Alec leaned against his brother.

'We just gotta show her that we all love her.' Dean put his arm around Alec's shoulders. 'We'll figure it out.'

Later, they told Sam everything when they got the chance. He was furious at everyone, including himself, for not realizing her pain.

Dean's eyes narrowed and he scratched his head as he contemplated something that had struck him. 'Dude, I have an awesome idea of how to get Zeva talking again.' He levelled a steady intense gaze at the two other occupants of the room.

'How?' Alec asked. His voice was laced with excitement.

It was understandable. After all, it was Alec's adoptive kid they were talking about. And, after what they had read, Alec wanted to give her some happiness. Dean took a deep breath and launched into his great plan. 'Look, Alec, you and I both have seen the contents of her journal. Nearly all of it is about her feelings for Cade.' He stopped. He had always felt edgy talking about serious stuff. Today was no different, apart from the fact that he also felt guilt for going through a kid's personal stuff. He saw Alec's eyes were full of guilt too. Although it was a small consolation, it still felt good to share the guilt.

'So…' Alec interrupted Dean, feeling impatient. Seriously, he was all for patience most of the time but just not now. His eldest brother had the tendency to talk a person's ear off if he put his mind to it or was feeling uneasy about a talk. It was a good way of killing time and not being quiet at the same time.

'So…you dumbass, she loves him. She lost her voice due to the shock of losing someone she loved. I think she would get it back if we shock her again.' Dean beamed at his little brothers. Waiting for them to catch on, he wiggled his eyebrows in askance.

'And, how are we gonna do that?' Sam asked in an annoyed tone, rolling his eyes.

Dean knew that look, the one that hockey Moms always seemed to wear. The one that, on his younger brother, meant that he thought Dean was just talking shit and he was gonna let him for a while because he was generous like that.

'We're going to use Cade. We'll electrocute him.' Dean saw the identical shocked looks on his brothers' faces and shrugged, feeling nervous all of a sudden. It had sounded like the perfect idea in his head. Somehow, it didn't quite sound the same in reality. Truth to be told, it sounded kind of wrong and lame when he said it out loud.

'Say what?' Alec managed to croak out after a few awkward silence-filled minutes.

'Dude, you sound like Miley Cyrus. That is just wrong on so many levels…' Dean tried to diffuse the tension in the air.

Sam cut in. 'Dean, don't change the subject.'

The bitch was huffing like a fucking dragon. Dean smirked at the thought. 'Don't be sucha bitch. He did sound like her. She's always saying that. It's annoying, dude.' Dean reasoned.

'Who the fuck is she anyway?' Alec asked in an exasperated tone, looking confused as hell.

'She's a tween pop princess with a show of her own and a desire of tween world domination. But that's not important. What I wanna know is how the fuck Dean knows about her?' Sam said, trying to hold back laughter.

Sam's ear-to-ear grin and exchange of an evil mischievous look with Alec wasn't lost on Dean. Shit…shit…shit. He was gonna kill Cas. It was his fault. He loved watching the damn Disney shows. His brothers would never let him live this down now. 'Can we get back to the matter at hand? So, we'll…' He was cut off.

'No. First, tell us how you know Hannah Montana.' Sam said seriously.

'Fine. Cas likes the show.' Dean sighed. 'So, I was saying…'

'Seriously, you watch Disney shows with Cas?' Alec asked in amazement.

'We've got a kid who can't express her feelings and feels suicidal because of it. And, you wanna know what shows I watch with Cas. Dude, seriously?' Dean felt furious. He glared at his brothers with heat in his gaze. That shut them up. They both gave him red-faced ashamed looks. 'Right, I was saying, we'll use one Kilowatt to electrocute him. He'll pass out for enough time to get her worried enough to react.'

'You sure it'll work?' Sam enquired.

'It's worth a shot.' Alec stated. He was willing to try it. That amount of electric wouldn't harm Cade except the initial reaction and it could give his little angel her voice back.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 –

Dean waited by the school gates for Zeva, Cade, and Ryan. He felt anxious and impatient because he wanted to get back home and put his plan into action. The sooner the better. The wait gave him more time to think about the possible failings of their awesome plan to get Zeva's voice back. He let out a breath when he heard the bell ring. After a few seconds, kids started walking or running out of the building. Dean smirked when he thought about how normal the kids looked, just like ordinary kids coming out of school, when these kids were anything but normal. Some kids greeted him as they went past and some merely nodded in acknowledgement. After waiting for a few long minutes, he decided to go and see what was taking his charges so long. Half of the school had already left. He was about to go into the school, but stopped when he saw Zeva walking towards him. Cade and Ryan were walking behind her, at some distance. She looked lost in her thoughts, only noticing him when he called her. 'Hey, Zeva sweetheart. You okay, kiddo?' He grabbed hold of her hand. She looked at their linked hands and then up at his face and smiled, nodding in reply.

Cade and Ryan had caught up to the other two. 'Hey, Uncle Dean. What's up?' Ryan greeted, bumping shoulders with Dean. He exchanged a confused look with his best friend, Cade. Why had Uncle Dean come to school? He had never done so before.

Cade shrugged at Ryan's unsaid question. He didn't have a clue why his Uncle would need to come to their school either. 'Hey, Uncle. How come you're here? Think we need someone to walk us home?' He asked in a cheeky tone.

'Not really. I was just going past here so I thought might as well wait for you guys. Are you feeling embarrassed or something?' Dean acted hurt.

Cade shook his head in denial. 'No, Uncle you know I'm cool with you treating me like a kid and coming to pick me up at school, just nobody else.'

Dean heard Zeva snort and saw her roll her eyes disbelievingly, making him smile at her gesture. 'I know.' He ruffled his nephew's hair. Then, he began walking back home. He was still clutching Zeva's hand who was walking beside him on his left side. Cade and Ryan fell into step with him on his right side. Dean kept quiet whilst the boys were talking. Instead, he busied himself with texting Ryan. After sending the text, he waited for the boy's reaction.

Ryan heard his phone beap to signal the arrival of a message. He saw the name and raising an eyebrow in question, he opened it. He nearly collapsed in hysterics when he read the text. _'Ryan, make an excuse & split. All us uncles of yours hav made a plan 2 get Zeva 2 talk. Tell u l8r. Go now._' This was hilarious. Ryan barely managed to keep from falling down laughing. He gave Cade a tight smile bordering on a shit-eating grin. 'Erm, that was Dad. I gotta split. He needs my help with moving that wooden thing I told you about.'

'What wooden thing? Ryan, you promised that you'll hang out with me today. I hardly saw you these past few days.' Cade huffed out, feeling annoyed. 'Uncle Dean, tell him to not be sucha bitch, will ya?'

'Cade, Biggs must really need help otherwise he wouldn't have sent him an urgent message.' Dean said, red-faced. He felt bad for lying. And, Ryan, grinning like a hyena wasn't helping the matter.

'Cade, stop being sucha jerk. You know it ain't my fault. I didn't know about this before, did I?' Ryan flailed his arms. Knowing full well that his Uncle Dean would understand what he meant.

Dean glared daggers at Ryan which made the kid finally leave. He let out a relieved sigh. Ryan was a good kid. Dean was glad there hadn't been a negative reaction from him. The kid could've stuffed up the plan but he hadn't. Dean saw this as a good omen, a sign from heaven that what he and his brothers had planned to do was the right thing to do. It was enough confirmation for him to feel at ease that things would work out.

The three got home soon after Ryan left them. The building was quiet, since nobody was home. According to the plan, Sam had gone to pick the twins up from school and he was going to take them out somewhere until he got the call from Dean or Alec. And, Alec and Max were in command as usual.

After half an hour, Dean put his plan into action. He left the two teenagers in the lounge and went into the kitchen. Checking that everything was set up, he rushed out and said. 'Cade, make me coffee. I need to go to the toilet.' He saw Cade make a face and Zeva get up. Shit. If he didn't do something, he'd end up with the wrong kid electrecuted. 'Zeva, I think I said Cade. You're not him.' She shrugged. Smiling at him, she continued making her way into the kitchen. She hadn't left him any option but to do something he didn't want to do. 'Zeva, I don't want you to make my coffee.' He tried to sound harsh. The shocked hurt look she gave him, broke his heart. Needless to say, he wanted to apologize and tell her the truth. However, he knew that would defeat the purpose of what they wanted to do.

Cade grudgingly got up from where he was sat on the couch in front of the tele and went to the kitchen.

When Dean was sure the intended target was going to get the electric shock, he left to go and wait in the hall. He leaned against the wall and started counting down the seconds to her reaction. Hoping to any god that was listening that she got the right kind of reaction, he crossed his fingers as he silently waited. He wanted it so much that Cade's electrecution would prove to be worth it. That beautiful girl had been through so much in her young life. To help her get her voice back would mean another life saved against the many he had hurt in his life and death. He was willing to take that chance. It was worth it. He grew concerned when he didn't hear anything for a minute. He was about to abandon his place to check what was wrong when the sweet sound of her scream sounded. Damn, the girl had a set of lungs on her to rival a banshee.

Zeva saw Cade start to gather the coffee mug, beans and some junk food, from under hooded eyes. She felt hurt because her Uncle hadn't wanted her to make him coffee and he had been so mean in his tone as if he thought she would make it bad. Maybe, her Uncle Dean had started hating her because he agreed with Cade. Coming out of her miserable thoughts, she glanced over to the male who was the cause of her heartache. He was finishing off talking to someone on his phone. She hadn't even noticed that he'd gotten a call. She needed to stop zoning out like she had done just now. This was becoming a bad and scary habit of hers as of late.

Cade shut his phone and resumed his task of making the coffee. He didn't understand why his Uncle had stopped Zeva so insistently. Shrugging in his thoughts, he reached to switch the plug on and immediately felt an intense pain and jolt course through his body. 'Ahhh...' He collapsed and then all went black.

Zeva saw Cade getting electrecuted, as if in slow motion. He hit the floor after jerking a few times. Zeva ran to him. Frantically, she tried to wake him up but when she got no response, she started to wail. He could be dead or hurt badly. 'Nooooooooo...' She screamed in a feral cry. In her panic, she didn't even realise she had screamed out loud, that her voice was back. 'Please, be okay...be okay. Cade, wake up. I love you. I'm sorry for everything. Please, be okay...wake up.' Unable to keep a lid on her fear, she sobbed her heart out as she cradled his head in her lap.

Dean saw the scene unfold in front of him and felt his own tears fall out of his eyes. He felt bad for needing to hurt her and scare her just to hear her voice. He decided to make his presence known to her. 'Zeva, what happened?' He tried to sound confused as he came to sit on the floor beside Zeva who was still holding the unmoving Cade. 'Let me carry him to the couch.' She wouldn't let go of him. 'Zeva, please baby. Let me take care of him.' She let him carry his nephew to the couch. He checked Cade's vitals and was relieved to feel a strong pulse. It seemed the kid had just passed out and was taking his time to come around.

Zeva followed her Uncle and Cade to the couch and sat by them on the floor. Her Uncle gave her a smile and then got his phone out and rang her Dad.

'Hey, Alec. It worked. Zeva can talk now. Cade is sleeping on the couch. I think he just passed out. His vitals are good. No need to worry.' Dean said into the phone, whilst keeping an eye on the kids. Zeva gave him a confused look at his brief talk with Alec.

'Okay, I'm coming.' Alec answered. 'I'll call Sam.'

Dean shut the phone and smiled at Zeva. 'Kiddo, you mind making me coffee? You can touch the plug now.' He shrugged. Dean remembered the time he had gotten severely electrecuted. He had nearly died. In fact, if it wasn't for the psycho wife of a priest trying to get fame for her husband as a healer then he would've been dead. He knew the plug was okay to touch now but he didn't have the guts to take the chance. He shuddered visibly at the thought.'Zeva, I didn't mean to sound mean before but I had to. You wouldn't've listened to me otherwise. I'm sorry, sweetheart. We cool?' She nodded at him. 'Zeva, kiddo, you can talk now. Let me hear your beautiful voice huh. I've heard european girls have a cool accent.'

Zeva was confused. She could talk? When had he heard her talk? She cast her mind back to a few minutes ago and realised that her Uncle was referring to her scream and pleas. 'I can talk.' She whispered for fear it might be wishful thinking like when she had laughed. 'Oh my god, I can talk. I can talk.' She repeated, tears of joy falling from her eyes. She laughed and got up, leaping. She hugged her Uncle when she caught on to the fact that he had planned it. 'Thank you. I love you Uncle Dean. I can talk.' It was unbelievable, a miracle to her.

In command, Alec was bouncing around telling everyone his daughter could talk again. He went in the office to get his jacket to leave for home but was stopped by his mate.

'Alec, What the hell has happened? What's the commotion?' Max asked, looking up from the papers she was reading. She ran her hand through her hair, feeling frustrated with all the work. She always tried to take on her mate's work when his brothers were visiting. And, sometimes it was too much. She really should appreaciate Alec more. He did do a lot of work and make it look like nothing.

'Maxie, the plan worked. Zeva can talk.' In his happiness, Alec let it slip that there was a plan. Shit. She was gonna kill him if she found out.

'What? Really? Oh my god, that is great news.' Max smiled in happiness and pulled Alec in for a kiss. Letting go of him after the passionate kiss, she licked her lips appreciatively and saw Alec pull his jacket on. He was going somewhere? Then something Alec had said came back to her. 'What plan?'

'Erm...nothing. I'm going home. I'll see you later.' He said and started making his way out. To his horror, Max grabbed her own jacket and followed him. 'Maxie, what...where are you going? I thought you have a lot of work to do.' The blazing eyes that were trained on him shut him up. 'I'm loving it that you're coming home with me. Maybe we can find some alone time. You know, B, you're always gonna be my bonnie and I'm gonna be your clyde, right?' He was looking scared.

'Whatever.' Max raised her eyebrows. Something was up. She could feel it. Alec was acting all weird, as though she was gonna kill him for that very something. She didn't have to wait for long. As soon as she entered in her home, Zeva ran into her arms.

'Mommy, I can talk. Uncle Dean told Cade to make coffee cause he didn't want me to get hurt and then Cade got electrecuted. So now I can talk.' Zeva said in a single breath.

Max squeezed her daughter in her embrace and kissed her. 'Baby, you don't know how happy I am. I love you. And, I like your voice too. It's nice. You have a nice accent. All the males are gonna start knocking on our door for you when they hear you.'

Alec winked at Zeva. 'I always wanted a european sounding daughter. Baby, I'm so happy we got your voice back.'

Dean stepped forward and grinned at them. 'Hate to break this up but can we try to wake Cade now.'

That got Max's attention. 'Where is he? Oh my god, Zeva you said he got electrecuted. Where's my baby?' Max wailed.

'Shhh...It's okay. He's not hurt. We only used a small amount of electric on him.' Dean tried to calm his sister-in-law.

Max stopped in her mournful cries and looked at his mate and his brother in turn. 'You did what? What do you mean by that? Are you telling me you planned this.' She gave them a furious wide-eyed look.

'Erm...we thought...it was my idea.' Alec decided to take the downfall.

'Alec, shut up. Why are you lying? You know full well I came up with the idea.' Dean scoffed.

'You just want to get all the credit.' Alec retorted.

'Guys, I don't care who's idea it was. It worked so I'll let you, Dean, off the hook. But, you better wake my son up soon or else I will forget my damn generosity. And, as for you, Alec, prepare to get the biggest ass-kicking you have ever got for putting my baby in pain.' Max tapped her shoes on the floor as she crossed her arms on her chest. She was looking down at her sleeping son who seemed to be having a dream.

'He's not in pain, Maxie. Relax.' Alec pulled Max in his arms. She squirmed to get free for a few seconds before slumping against him.

Later that evening at dinner, everyone's attention was on Zeva. Everyone was asking her questions about herself. Alec and the Winchester brothers had agreed that it was best to not let on that they knew the contents of her journal.

'When's your birthday? How old will you be?' Sam asked Zeva.

'My birthday was two days ago. I'm 16 yrs old now.' She didn't look up from her plate of food.

'Why didn't you tell us, honey?' Max ruffled Zeva's hair, reaching for her. 'We should have a party for you too.'

'I have an idea. Mommy, why can't we have Zeva and Cade's party together. His party is on the day after tommorrow. She's only four days older than him.' Lima argued.

The others at the table started to agree. 'You're right.' Max said.

'We could do that. It'll give us enough time to organise it to include her.' Alec nodded.

'No, that's not fair. I want my own party. All my friends had their own. I don't want to share mine with her.' Cade whined.

'Cade, don't act spoilt. So what, if we celebrate hers on the same day.' Alec frowned at his son.

'No, Daddy. He's right. I don't want to celebrate anyway. I hate parties.' Zeva tried to smile but she didn't feel happy. Atleast, the others had tried to show her they cared about her birthday. Cade didn't even care. 'Anyway, it wouldn't make sense. I've had my birthday.'

'But, we didn't celebrate it.' Mila's face crumbled. 'Daddy, that's not fair. Zeva didn't even get any presents or anything.'

It touched her deeply that her sisters cared so much about her. 'It's okay, Mila. I don't need anything. I have everything I want. I have you. I'm very lucky to have a pack, a family.' She swallowed the lump in her throat.

Cade felt like shit. He knew he was being a selfish bastard. But if he let her share his party then other boys and girls would laugh at him forever. He counted back to the date of her actual birthday and realised it was the day he had called her a defective freak. Fuck. Why did his life have to be like this. A part of him wanted to keep up the pretence of not caring about her, however there was a bigger part of him that wanted to tell her that he was sorry for hurting her and that he loved her more than anything. In the end, his pride won out. He wasn't going to be the butt of other kids' jokes.

After dinner, Cade escaped from his family and went to take a nap. He couldn't sleep properly anymore because he didn't have Zeva in his arms. Instead, he napped whenever he felt tired enough. It had been like that for two days now. An hour of restless sleep and dreams of a certain blue-eyed blonde later, he got up and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

He adjusted the shower temperature to cold and switched it on getting under it. The water hit him in full force but he didn't feel its cold bite. He shut his eyes and started to jerk off. After minutes of stroking himself and imagining Zeva touching him, he came all over his hand. He opened his eyes and tasted blood on his lips. To stop himself from crying out her name, he had bit his lip. He quickly cleaned himself off. After standing under the shower spray for a few more minutes, he got out. He looked around and realised that, in his haste, he hadn't brought any clean clothes to wear with him. Damn. What was he going to do now? He was going to have to go past the girls' room with just a towel wrapped around his ass.

Cade considered calling one of his parents or his Uncles and telling them to get him some clothes. As soon as this thought occurred to him, he dismissed it. He knew he couldn't call them. His Mom was probably resting on his Dad and would send one of the guys. And, he didn't want the guys to laugh at him. His Dad and Uncles would never let it rest. It was the perfect opportunity for them to add another story to their already bizarre set of stories they used to explain why they all thought he liked parading around naked. Knowing them, they wouldn't get him clothes but instead call everyone to come and have a look at him to add to his embarrasement. They'd probably pull the small towel from his ass just for fun. He knew they were capable of all this and more, specially his Uncle Dean. His Dad was practically the same. He never let an opportunity like this pass him by. His Uncle Sammy was sensitive but easily influenced, so he wouldn't be of any help. To be fair, if someone else was in this predicament he'd be the same. He would've laughed as well. He couldn't really blame anyone. It was a damn funny situation. He got himself in this position so he'd get out of it himself.

Feeling resigned, he wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door. In order to make sure no one was in the hall, he stuck his head out first. Finding the coast clear, he quickly shut the bathroom door behind him and tried to blur it to his bedroom. As fate would have it, he ran smack into Zeva who was coming out of Mila and Lima's bedroom. They both fell to the floor, Cade on top of Zeva.

Zeva felt Cade's mostly naked body pressing her down. The desire to touch him became so strong. It was almost blinding. He shifted over her, making her moan. It was then that she was hit by an overpowering smell that hung in the air surrounding them. Looking at his eyes, she found them dark and glowing. She had a feeling hers were the same. Well, if her body's reaction to his body was anything to go by then they would surely be.

Cade saw her eyes darken and glow as the smell of pheromones became stronger. In his lustful haze, he forgot that he only had a small towel wrapped around his ass and they were in the hall of their home of all the damn places that they could be in this position and their family was around them. Anyone could come at any moment. He forgot all this and zeroed in his attention on the now squirming Zeva. With the intention to kiss her, he closed the gap between them.

Zeva recognised his intention. After all, it wasn't the first time that he was going to kiss her. She shut her eyes in anticipation. Instead of feeling butterflies, she had a sudden flashback of Cade calling her a defective freak. She opened her eyes in time to see his lips descend on hers. Hastily, she pushed him away. 'No.' She growled. 'You don't get to do that anymore.' Glaring daggers at him, she quickly got up and ran into her bedroom, locking the door behind her.

Cade was in shock. For the first time in his life, a girl had rejected him. Although it hurt his pride a little, he wasn't too bothered by it. He knew she wanted him. She was just hurt. He got it. He would've been hurt too if she had treated him badly. Standing up, he clutched his towel, holding it in his hand so it didn't slip. He made his way to her door. Knocking, he sighed. 'Zeva, I need to talk to you. I'm sorry for calling you what I did. I don't know what more you want me to say. I didn't mean it. You know that I didn't.'

'I don't want to talk to you.' She replied in an exasperated tone.

Cade leaned against her door. 'Zeva, please.' There was no answer. Damn, he was begging her and she was still not opening up. He huffed frustratingly. 'Fine. You don't have to talk to me or listen to me. Just come out. Don't stay locked up in there. It's my birthday in a day and I don't want Mom and Dad to be mad at me. They will be, if you lock yourself up. They'll think I said something to you which made you lock yourself up.' He was going to give up and pull away when he heard the click of her lock sound. She opened the door and glared at him before shutting the door and walking away to go to the lounge. As she went, he felt a sense of loss overcome him.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 –

The next morning, Zeva wasn't looking forward to going to school. She didn't know what the reaction of the kids in her school would be to her sudden ability to talk again. Her family had tried to comfort her and reassure her that she'd be okay because everyone would be happy that she was better now. She wasn't so optimistic. But, she tried to show her family that she believed them even when she didn't. According to her belief, why would the same kids who had bullied her over her defect and thought she was inferior to them suddenly be happy that she was well? It didn't make any sense. It wasn't logical.

No matter what the kids reaction to her, she was sure about one thing and that was, she didn't want to be bombarded with questions by others. It wasn't anyone's business that she was talking now. So, she wasn't going to answer them. She didn't have to if she didn't want to. They could all get stuffed for all she cared. Part of the reason for her agitation was her nervousness that the kids would make fun of her different accent. She was aware that she didn't talk like the other kids of the nation. She sighed when the gates and building of the school came into view. They should be used to the accents and mannerisms of the kids of Scherzo by now. She might just be getting all worried over nothing. She silently walked behind Ryan and Cade as they made their way into their school and their class.

Ryan had initially started to ask her questions after expressing his joy and happiness at this new development in her life, but she had politely conveyed to him her desire to be left alone, that she wasn't up to any talking. And, he hadn't pressed her. Falling in step with his best friend Cade who had been walking in front of them, he didn't bother her again for which she was grateful.

Zeva heard the kids whisper when she went to sit in her seat and she saw their interested looks. She didn't pay mind to it. It wasn't worth it. These kids weren't worth it. She told herself, the opinions of other transgenics weren't important to her, she only cared for her family's opinions about her. Her family loved her so she was happy. Now she just needed Cade to love her. No, she wasn't going to think about him. He wasn't worth it either. He didn't care about her so why should she. She turned around in her seat to ask Ryan to give back her homework papers before the teacher came as he had developed the habit of copying her work since he couldn't be bothered to do it himself. Cade, she had noticed, never bothered with homework at all and still the teachers never said anything. Instead of finding the boys talking amongst themselves, she was met by the heartbreaking sight of girls blowing kisses Cade's way and signalling that he should pick them for the first dance at his party. Cade seemed to be in heaven, looking dreamily at the swooning females and nodding in affirmation. Ryan was also trying to arrange dates for himself.

Cade felt sorrow chill his bones. Why was he feeling like his whole world had collapsed around him? He realised it wasn't his own sadness but the emotion of his pack female who was sat in front of him, just a few metres away. He turned his head to look at Zeva. Not being prepared to meet her oceanic-blue eyes head-on, he gasped in surprise. Undoubtedly, she had witnessed all those females trying to get his attention and him providing the attention happily. It was written all over her face, in the way her eyes looked hurt but her expression was contradictorily apathetic. He felt a pang in his heart. He wanted to wipe the forced indifferent look off her face. Damn, why couldn't she just admit it to him that she needed him, that she didn't want him to look at other females.

Coming out of her trance, Zeva called Ryan and then turned back to face forward. She couldn't keep up with the pretence that she didn't care about Cade's interest in other females. How could she not care? She loved him and to see him with other females hurt like hell.

Ryan had caught the look of pain on Zeva's face before she faced forward. He turned his head sideways to find a sulky Cade staring at her back, looking longingly at her. He sighed in exasperation. He was gonna need to do something about them if they didn't get their acts together soon. First things first, he leaned forward to ask Zeva why she had called him. 'Zeva, what's up?' He got too close, in her personal space. But it was worth seeing the angry look and hearing the jealous growl from his brother.

Zeva gave Ryan an annoyed glance for invading her space. However, she realised he was looking in the direction of Cade. Immediately understanding his intentions, she smirked and smacked him, affectionately, upside his head. 'Can I have my homework back before Gilly comes.' Gilly was their mathematics teacher and Zeva didn't want to spoil her record of being the best student in class. She held out her hand. He moved back to get it. A moment later, Ryan handed her the work with a thanks and a hug and kiss to the cheek. She knew he was trying to get a reaction from Cade. The fact that the womanizer mean heart-breaker hadn't reacted to Ryan coming into her personal space said it all really. He didn't care about her. She told herself she wasn't disappointed. Why would she be, it wasn't like she cared.

No one had bothered Zeva about her talking ability yet. Looking at the time on the clock, she was relieved to see that two hours of school time had already passed. She couldn't wait to get home. Away from all the stares and whispers. She still had a few hours to go though. Her good mood wasn't to last. Everything changed in lunch break.

After lunch, which Zeva had eaten sitting on the same table as Cade and Ryan as always, she was sat minding her own business under the huge oak tree in the playground. She saw Reul and his usual crew walk towards her. Oh, crap. Narrowing her eyes, she looked around the playground. She needed to get Ryan or Cade's attention. She tried to send out signals of distress. But, they were busy with some girls. No surprise there. They didn't even look her way. Some pack members they were. Fuck. What was she gonna do now? The group of boys came to stand near her and started sniggering as though at an insider joke.

'Hey Zeva, heard you can talk now. Why don't you talk for us. European accents are supposed to be sexy. Wouldn't mind tapping that.' Zeus said and high-fived Reul.

Zeva didn't say anything. She figured that if she kept quiet, they'd get tired and leave her alone. However, that wasn't to be.

Reul walked closer to her and crouched down beside her. He snatched the sketch book she was drawing on, off her lap and out of her hand. 'Oh, look what we have here. What is this supposed to represent? Your feelings for a male who doesn't care about you?' He laughed out loud at his own musings. The other males soon following in his footsteps.

She couldn't take it anymore. Why should she put up with this shit? She was done with being taunted for being different. She needed to be more like her Mom and make everyone fear her. After all, she was an alpha, part of the alpha pack of the nation. She channeled her Mom and the training she had recieved from her Mom. Standing up, she growled at the group of boys and glared at them. 'Leave me the hell alone if you don't want me to kick your sorry asses.' She tried her best to sound as convincing and scary as her Mom. It didn't have the desired effect. In fact, it made things a whole lot worser. The boys were hysterically laughing after a second of stunned silence and shock.

'Wow, she's a feisty one. Who'd've thought a female could sound so good when they're mad.' Zeus eyed her up.

Walking closer to Reul and standing behind him, Steve gave her a predatory smile. 'Man, I can imagine how she'd sound screaming my name out.'

All of the boys sniggered, agreeing. They eyed her up in a very perverted way. Zeva realized a little late what they were talking about. Eww. Bastards. She was aware of the fact that they were now closing in, forming a circle around her. Her instincts went in overdrive, the fight or flight mode. Knowing that if she waited any longer then she won't be able to get Cade and Ryan's attention, she screamed her discomfort at the top of her lungs.

Through his lustful haze and having Riza's tongue down his throat, Cade felt a shiver and then heard a scream which chilled him to his very bones. He had been feeling restless for the past five minutes but had overlooked it. Well, he had a very tasty distraction in the form of the red-head who had been playing tongue-hockey with him for over five minutes so it wasn't his fault. Apologetically, he pulled away from the whining female and looked around the playground to see what had been the cause of the scream. A quick survey gave him his answer. Zeva looked to be surrounded by Reul's gang and looking very unhappy about it. Without giving it a thought, he pushed Riza away from him and began his angry march towards them. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ryan was running towards the group and was nearly there. He slowed down into a predatory pace.

'Reul, what the fuck do you think you're doing?' Ryan got to the boys first. He was aware of Cade's rapidly approaching footsteps. He could already smell the testosterone coming off his brother from even this far. That could mean only one thing. Cade was in fight mode. He practically ran to Zeva moving aside the other boys and put his arm around her to comfort her. If Cade saw her with him at least he wouldn't go too mad.

Reul shrugged, looking unimpressed. 'I don't think she's your female, Ryan. She can talk to whoever she wants and we can talk to her if we want. Who is she to you, anyway?' He asked, grinning and high-fiving his friends.

'She's my sister, my family, you bastard.' Ryan answered calmly. He may have been calm on the outside but it wasn't how he was feeling on the inside. No one scared one of his sisters and got away with it. Instead of doing something, like break the bastards' noses like he usually would have done, he didn't do anything. He didn't need to as Cade looked ready to commit a kill just like an angry lion whose territory might've been invaded. His friend slowed his pace down like a predator measuring his prey a few metres away. And, Ryan knew that a big fight was about to take place.

'Ryan, is Zeva okay?' Cade asked, keeping his eyes trained on the gang of 15 yrs old alpha wanabees.

Zeva heard Cade and looked up from where she was hiding her face in Ryan's chest. Although having Ryan around her was always great comfort, it was nothing compared to hearing the voice of Cade. Ryan was her rock, a big brother who would always make her feel safe. Cade, on the other hand, was her air, her life, her everything and her preferred alpha male, someone whose presence was enough for her entire being to know she had nothing to worry about now. She wrapped her arms around Ryan's waist when he repeated the question in a whisper close to her ear. 'I'm okay.' She said loud enough for Cade to hear.

Ryan saw Cade nod and then motion for him to take Zeva away from the group of boys. Ryan didn't bother trying to calm Cade. He knew he'd never listen anyway. And, maybe this was a good thing. Personally, he couldn't wait to see the fight. Cade rarely fought. He didn't usually need to. He was of the Alpha pack and Max's son, that being reason enough for no male to challenge him. But, it seemed when females were involved even the most sensible of males would make a rash decision.

When he was satisfied with the space between his pack members and the group of stupid boys, Cade challenged them to a fight. 'You know what? I remember saying to you guys in particular that if you disturb my female again, there'll be consequences.' He punched Steve in the nose, breaking it, before the guy had a chance to blink. Despite this, Steve bowed his head in surrender and retreated.

'Oooh, I'm scared.' Reul tried to keep up with his false bravado. He exchanged looks with his friends but they shook their head in resignation and looked down after a moment. They were accepting Cade as their alpha. They kept their eyes down, not accepting Cade's challenge for a fight. No. This couldn't be happening to him. The traitors. He should've known they'd chicken out. They were mouth but no action. Fine. He'd fight with Cade and prove that he was the better alpha. They'll follow him around, begging for forgiveness for their betrayal after this. Ahhh. He hated that lucky fucker Cade.

Cade accepted all the males show of acceptance of his alpha status and his claim to Zeva. He then focused his attention on the only male who had accepted his challenge to fight. He wasn't surprised to see Reul accepting his challenge. That boy was always looking for ways to piss him off. Cade was sure that if it wasn't for Reul's poisonous influence then the other boys wouldn't be such sonuvabitches. Today, he'd show the dickhead what he meant by staying away from his female.

Cade grabbed hold of Reul's t-shirt in a bruising grip. Twisting the material, he dragged the owner away from the tree and punched him in his nose. Reul retaliated. After a round of attack and counter-attacks, Cade swept him off his feet with a roundhouse kick to the calves. Another few minutes passed with them rolling on the ground and kicking and punching each other. Cade was momentarily distracted by the shouts that emanated from the rapidly growing crowd surrounding them. The kids were so loud that his attention was momentarily called away from the fight giving his opponent an unfair advantage. Reul's leg swept out in a wide, graceful art, connecting with his ankles, throwing him off balance. Without even realizing what exactly was happening, Cade found himself flat on his back. Sucking in deep breaths of air that seemed devoid of oxygen and wincing from the tiny pebbles of the asphalt that dug painfully into his back, he quickly did a back flip and stood back up, growling.

Zeva stood in the front row of the huge circle surounding the fighting pair. Ryan was standing beside her. She had asked him why he wasn't helping Cade but he had just shrugged and said he wouldn't need help in this type of fight, it wasn't his place to fight alongside his brother when instincts were involved. She didn't understand what he meant.

Enough time had passed. Cade was done with this. He wasn't gonna put up with pansy fighting. He was an alpha and it was time to show it. If he had to fight, he wasn't going to do it half-assed. He had already given the dickwit enough time to surrender.

Ryan had watched in amused satisfaction as Cade had laid claim to Zeva as his female, his mate. All males had accepted apart from Reul, the stupid fucker. He knew that the 15 yrs old wasn't really interested in Zeva but had accepted Cade's challenge just for the hell of it and to impress the females who were watching. Well, by now all the kids had gathered in the playground. Judging by the heavy scent of testosterone in the air, it was obvious that every male present understood the claim. However, the females weren't going to understand it unless someone said something which the males would never do. It was against their rules. Mate fights were never discussed with females. Females weren't even supposed to ever witness fights regarding the claims in the first place. Once word got out to other males and it would, all it took was one male with a big gob, then shit would hit the fan. Every male in the vicinity of the fight knew that Cade was gonna get his ass kicked from his family males when they found out about this.

Reul aimed his foot for Cade's groin. He deflected it before it reached his groin with the palm of one hand braced under the other. He retaliated by smacking Reul in the face with the flat of his hand.

Seeing Cade's easy deflection of a quicker and powerful kick, Zeva fleetingly remembered their sparring and her kick to his groin. She watched with satisfaction as the blood poured down Reul's face as he jerked his dislocated nose straight on his face. The pig-headed bully was fast, much faster than his bulky frame would suggest. She winced as his fist thudded first into Cade's gut and then into his face. Her eyes closed involuntarily. 'This is all my fault.' She sighed as she said regretfully. 'He's getting hurt.' She tried to get into the middle of the circle to stop the fight but she was stopped from behind.

Ryan saw Zeva move forward. He hastily grabbed her from behind. Keeping his arm around her neck, he tried to calm her. 'Zeva, don't distract Cade. He needs to win this challenge. It's important. If you can't watch the fight, then don't.' He turned her around and levelled his gaze with her seriously. She nodded in silent agreement and turned back around to watch the fight.

No, she thought as Reul's fist headed again for Cade's bloodied nose. But, he deflected the punch with his bent arm and for a moment they were locked arm-to-arm until Cade punched him in the face and swinging around with a huge roundhouse kick, smashed his boot into Reul's ribs. Zeva let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and smiled as Cade leapt and sailed through the air, both his booted feet striking square in the middle of Reul's chest, sending the boy staggering back. The thud of the boots of the fighting pair was audible, even above the noise of the crowd. And the crowd were noisy. The kids were cheering, she realized in disgust. Both the boys were covered in blood and breathing heavily, though Cade was mostly covered in Reul's blood. Reul's face was swollen and puffy and she could tell by the harsh noise he was making that his nose was making it hard for him to breathe. This was like no fight she'd ever seen before. This had a serious and deadly air to it.

Reul's long arm shot out and his hand splayed across Cade's chest as he held him away from his body. They looked at each other for a long moment. When Reul bowed his head slightly accepting his alpha status and his claim on Zeva, Cade let go of him. The fight was over. He'd gotten what he'd wanted.

Cade and Ryan were hanging out on their isolated stretch of beach after they had dropped Zeva off at the mall where she was going to meet up with their sisters. Cade had taken a shower and changed his clothes at Ryan's. He felt calmer now, having washed away the residue of the adrenaline and testosterone. Now, he was sat on the sand sulking whilst Ryan was giving him the biggest dressing down of what-the-fuck-have-you-done-you-stupid-jerk. That was the reason why, he was so overjoyed to see Dalton when their older friend came to stand with them. However, his happiness was shortlived. Dalton had come to pass on the message that his Dad needed to see him.

'I'll warn you, Cade. Alec isn't alone. You'll be seeing all your family males. All the males in Deania must know about the fight by now. You're screwed, man.' Dalton said sympathetically. He walked beside them as they made their way to Command. As they drew closer to the huge dove-shaped building, he stopped. 'Right, I'll be heading to my own place. I'll see you guys later.'

All of a sudden, Ryan got scared. All the family males meant his own Dad too. Shit. His Dad always pinned blame on him if Cade did something wrong just because he was four months older than Cade. So not fair. He didn't really want to be subjected to questioning when it wasn't his fault. 'Cade, you know what? I think you should go yourself. I promised Mom I'll help her do something.'

'Like hell. Ryan, come on dude. I'll need someone to back me up. I'm not going alone. What kinda brother are you, if you aren't gonna stick up for me when I need you.' Cade whined in a panic.

'Seriously, dude. So much for me being the girl. You're sucha melodramatic jerk. But, I can't expect anything else from you other than emotional blackmail.' Ryan huffed out disbelievingly. Seeing the panicked look on Cade's face and the plea in his eyes, he gave up on resisting. Damn him, his brother would one day be the end of him. 'Fine. But, you owe me big for this. Jerk.' He shoved Cade forward towards the door of the building, half-heartedly.

'Thanks, bitch.' Cade replied in affection. He bumped shoulders with Ryan for comfort. He had known his friend wouldn't really leave him alone to face those males if he showed it that he needed support.

Fifteen minutes later, Alec was still repeating the same questions as he paced his personal office. He had sent Max home early. He eye-balled Cade but his son wasn't responding. A part of him was proud of him and the other wanted to punch the daylights out of him. 'Cade, I'm sick of this. Just answer me and we'll close this matter. Did you mean the claim? Huh? What the fuck did you claim her for anyway?'

Cade huffed angrily. He had thought they might leave him alone if he kept quiet. But, no. His Dad was worser than his Mom when he wanted to be. Cade had tried to even escape but Biggs was blocking the only damn exit. 'Fuck this. I don't have to answer anything. Ryan, come on, let's go.' He said feeling furious. He moved over to the door and tried to shove past Biggs. But, to no avail. 'I did it to protect her.' He screamed out in frustration.

'Cade.' Alec warned.

'Right, that's enough. I want you to shut up about this, Alec. You're not forcing the kid to say anything on my watch. He'll tell you when he's ready.' He said angrily. 'Now, I'm in need of some stiff drink and Ryan and Cade are taking me to the bar.' Dean stood up, looking thunderous. Dean saw the narrowed angry glares of Alec, Sam and Biggs. Shrugging into his jacket, he walked up to the door and immediately Biggs moved. Dean placed one arm around each boy and dragged them out with him.

An hour later, Dean had gotten the confession he needed from Cade. It hadn't been easy. But, after a lot of drinks and games of pool which included dares. He now sat back sipping his beer. Feeling tired and somewhat tipsy, he looked on admirngly as the two younger members of his family downed shot after shot of tequila. He wished he had the ability to drink that much and still not get drunk. Cas did. He smiled to himself at the thought of his angel. Standing up, he kept his weight on the table to get his bearings. 'Right, boys, I should get going. I'm afraid I can't keep up with you two. Thanks for the drinks. It was fun hanging with my boys.' He winked at them.

'Uncle...' Cade looked at Dean nervously.

Dean cut him off. He knew what was on the kid's mind. 'Cade, you know you don't have to say. You're secret's safe with me. I won't tell Alec what you said about your feelings for her. I'm one of the insiders, right?' He grinned.

Cade nodded. 'You're the best and most awesome Uncle ever.' He declared in a cheery tone.

'I know. Now, you two be good. Don't stay out too late. You have your birthday party tomorrow.' He gulped the last of his beer and placed the empty bottle on their table. 'Ryan, there's a chick on your east, 4 O'clock, she's been staring at you for over half an hour now.' He smirked when he saw the surprised look on the faces of the two boys. 'Kids, I have better instincts than you even when I'm tipsy. Who'd've thought?' He laughed. 'Anyway, should go now. But, remember to tell me about that hottie tomorrow, okay.' He said, leaving them silent and shocked.

Snapping out of his amazement of his Uncle's awesome skills, Cade turned his head in the direction where this mysterious female was supposed to be sitting. Sure enough, exact where his Uncle had said, a girl was sat with her parents. The girl had her eyes on Ryan. Cade gave his friend a nudge. Ryan still seemed shook-up. 'Ryan, is that Blake,Tiga and their daughter Sara.' Ryan mutely nodded. 'Why is she staring at you as though you killed her cat?' Ryan just blankly looked at him and then dropped his head on the table, pouting. 'Did something happen between you two?' Still no answer. 'Ryan?' He said in a deadly tone.

Ryan began in a small voice. He didn't feel good for some reason. Must be all that alcohol, he pretended to his heart which was telling him otherwise with its erratic beating. 'You remember I told you about getting stuck in the storage room in the basement of Command about four weeks ago?' Cade nodded and gave him a confused look. 'I wasn't the only one.'

'You mean Sara...' Cade didn't finish. He didn't need to.

'She was down there to get some stuff for Dix. She hangs out with him. He teaches her computer algorithms and programming. She doesn't even need to go to school because she's a born genius.' Ryan saw Cade's lips twitch and he realized he was saying too much. 'Anyway, she got scared so I kissed her and then one thing led to another, you know.' Ryan felt hot, remembering her body under his.

'Oh my god, are you blushing?' Cade started laughing hysterically. Ryan had had a lot of fun with commenting on his and Zeva's relationship or the lack of it, it was time to give him a taste of his own medicine. 'You like her?'

'You don't understand how serious this situation is. I fucked Blake's only kid. Holy crap, but I'm in deeper shit than you. You know how scary her Mom, Tiga, is? If they find out, I'm dead.' Ryan almost squealed.

'Hey, relax. I've never heard of her parents killing any male she's been with. You're panicking over nothing.' Cade patted his back.

Yeah, he wished. 'That's because I'm the only guy she's ever been with. She's only 14 yrs old, nearly 15.' He said sadly. Cade was speechless, opening his mouth and closing it like a fish. 'She cried after she realized I could get us both out of there. She said she had only let me touch her like that because she loved me and that she thought she was going to die.' He admitted remorsefully.

'Did you say that to her, that you were both gonna die?' When Ryan didn't answer, Cade understood what had really happened. 'You took advantage of the situation, didn't you? Ryan, answer me, damnit.' Cade growled.

'I didn't know she was a virgin. When she asked me if we were gonna die I just said yes. She wanted me.' He shrugged. 'I don't think she'll tell anyone. I told her not to.' He sighed. 'She asked me if I was gonna mate with her.' A second later, he confessed.

'What did you say to that?' Cade looked over at the girl who was now looking down at her plate. He couldn't see that clearly from this far. But, he remembered how she looked because he'd seen her a few times. Her parents were friends with his family, just not close friends. It was a family who kept to themselves.

'Yeah right, I'm gonna mate with a geek who isn't even remotely hot.' He said sarcastically and laughed nervously. He looked over at her. 'I don't know what I was thinking the first time.' Why did he feel bad saying this about her? he'd never felt like this when he was dissing a girl before.

That night, a 16 yrs old male of Deania was tossing around in his bed, restlessly. He couldn't sleep. All he could think of was the beautiful heart-shaped face, tanned skin, golden-brown hair and hazel eyes of a female he'd spent five hours being stuck with in the basement of Command. Ryan, now understood what Cade meant by not being able to sleep because he couldn't stop thinking about a certain female. Seeing Sara tonight looking so pale and sad had done something to his heart. He'd been with a lot of girls since he knew that whole deal but no girl had been able to make him feel scared of losing control over his feelings and his emotions the way she had and no girl had haunted his thoughts before her either.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N ; First of all, thanks to those of you who responded to my heartfelt plea for reviews…the reviews were all awesome…**

**Secondly, I know I initially said this chapter was going to be the party but it just didn't make sense to jump into the party without details…You guys know I like to be thorough in my writing…The party chapter will be long, I think…I have it in my head how I want it to pan out but writing it to perfection will be hard as many character interactions and things will take place…As always, I will try my best though.**

Chapter 19 –

'Happy birthday baby.' Alec pulled the confused Zeva in his arms and gave her a bear hug.

Taking turns, the family started to hug and kiss Zeva as she made her way into the kitchen in the morning. Everyone was already up and looking excited except Cade. She knew he was still asleep because she had just been in his room. Why was her family acting as if it was her birthday? She voiced her puzzlement. 'It's not my birthday.' She simply stated.

'We know, honey. We're just gonna celebrate it today.' Max smiled at her eldest daughter and ruffled her hair as she walked past her to take a seat on the dining table for breakfast.

Zeva took a bite of her toast and then scrunched up her face in disagreement. 'I thought I told you I didn't want a party.' She mumbled.

Sam could see his niece was clearly unhappy at the prospect of a party so he decided to put her at ease. 'It's just a family gathering here at lunch. Zeva, it's not a proper party.' He clarified.

'We've only invited Biggs' pack, Dalton's pack and Joshua for dinner.' Max added. Suddenly, she realized why her daughter was unhappy about a party. Cade had said he didn't want to share his party so it was obvious that Zeva didn't want to cause trouble.

Zeva was unsure about her feelings. On the one hand, she was happy that her family loved her enough to celebrate her birthday even though she had dismissed the idea and on the other hand, she was aware that the birthday boy wasn't going to like his family paying attention to her on his birthday. And, she didn't want to spoil Cade's day. He already disliked her. She didn't want to give him another reason for him to justify his negative feelings towards her.

'We got you presents.' Mila blurted out, barely managing to contain her excitement and stay in her seat. She had been waiting to give her big sister her present. She turned to her parents. 'Daddy, Mommy, can me and Lima give Zeva her presents.' She pleaded with her best bleary-eyed cute kitten look in place.

'No, we'll all give her presents to her when we give Cade his presents.' Max shook her head at the pleading looks her sulky twins were giving her.

Dean had been gobbling his breakfast silently. He watched in amusement as Max tried to disagree with Mila without using her bitchy tone. It wasn't an easy accomplishment, what with her habit of sounding bitchy nearly all the time but she made the effort and somehow managed it. 'Mila, princess, don't be sad. Zeva will get her presents soon.' He comforted his niece as he pouted in perfect imitation to her look, making her laugh.

Zeva hooked her arm around Mila's shoulders and brought her closer into her side. 'It's okay, baby. I can wait.' Her reassuring smile was matched by the little girl's dazzling smile. Her heart melted and she felt a lump form in her throat at her sisters' love for her.

Cade woke up to the low sounds of voices drifting in his bedroom. He sat up in the bed and stretched out like a graceful cat. He was still tired. He had stayed out till late with Ryan. Add to that, the fact that he didn't sleep well anymore, now thathe didn't have the warm comforting body to hold in his arms at night, then it was no wonder that his muscles were aching and exhausted. And, all the alcohol he had consumed last night hadn't helped either. But, he wasn't going to think about his ever-mounting problems today. It was a very special day, his birthday. So, he resolved to have the best day of his life so far.

Checking his cell phone for the time, he found loads of birthday messages waiting to be opened by him. It looked like the kids of the nation had been busy whilst he'd been sleeping, especially the girls. He was definitely looking forward to taking advantage of all the attention he was going to get from the girls at his party tonight. He was in desperate need of some kind of physical contact from the other gender, not having Zeva's regular touches was having an effect on his body. He had noticed he was nearly always tense lately. He grinned gleefully at the thought of all the gorgeous girls that were gonna come to his party. Getting out of his bed, he yawned and rubbed at his eyes to clear the haze. He grabbed his clothes and towel and headed to the bathroom, hoping it was empty as he went. He didn't want to wait, wanted to be ready fast so he could get his presents.

Under the spray of the shower, he excitedly thought about the presents he might be getting from his family. Eventually his thoughts wandered to the blue-eyed beauty living in his home, in his pack. Although he tried to quench the feelings, he still felt bad for her. His sisters were right. It wasn't fair that she hadn't had a party or any presents. She deserved those things as much as he did or maybe more. Determined to keep Zeva out of his mind at least for one day, he shook his head as if to shake off his thoughts and feeling. It was a tall order as he practically breathed her and she was always around. However, he was going to try his best.

Fully ready and back in his room, he was about to leave when something caught his eye. He walked over to his bedside table and looked at the box. There was a note stuck to the box. It read;

_Cade,_

_Happy 16__th__ birthday. I am really sorry. I didn't have any money to buy you anything for your present so I made your present myself. I know it's nothing special but I did try to make it perfect for you. I hope you like it._

With one pull at the lid of the beautifully painted box, he opened it and was greeted with the sight of a perfect plastic and steel replica of his favourite car, his Uncle Dean's Impala. It was a thing of beauty and craftsmanship. It must've taken a lot of time and effort to make with all the research on the specifications and the actual carving. He knew who the present was from. It was unmistakably the writing of Zeva. It was also evident because he knew no one other than her would've left his present for him to find rather than handing it to him. He felt a rush of love for her but also the feelings of guilt and remorse washed over him because he didn't deserve this from her. Not after the way he had treated her. He felt unworthy.

Without thinking, he grabbed his cell phone and called the only person he could think of in his current predicament. 'Hey, Jay. I need a favour.'

Ten minutes later, Cade entered the living room with a huge smile plastered on his face. 'Morning, guys.' He was immediately swamped by a chorus of happy birthdays from his family members and their hugs and kisses. He noticed Zeva didn't come forward. She just smiled at him from afar. Wanting to thank her, he moved closer to her and said, 'Thanks for the present. It was awesome.' She nodded in response, a blush creeping up her neck onto her face. She looked so cute.

The next hour was spent with the family giving presents to him and Zeva. He was happy to see that his family had still decided to celebrate her birthday in some way even when he had told them that he didn't want to share his birthday. Though, he would never admit his happiness to anyone. It was hard enough to admit to himself what he really felt, he didn't need others analyzing his feelings too.

Cade got a Jet Ski from his Dad, a Quad bike from his Mom, an ancient anti-evil protection knife from his Uncle Sam and a chromed Colt 1911 with ivory grips from his Uncle Dean. Mila gave him the latest version of the iPod and Lima gave him cleaning kits and accessories for his new quad and Jet Ski. He loved all his presents but his favourite by far was the chromed colt because it was a family heirloom of sorts as it was handed down to his eldest Uncle from his grandfather, John who had used it himself and also he loved the Impala replica Zeva had made him because again it was a family thing and she had put so much love and thought into the present too.

Zeva couldn't believe how nice her family was. They had all given her such great presents. Her Mom had given her the Kawasaki Ninja that had been her Mom's baby for nearly two decades. It was a work of art, a beautiful machine, and special to her Mom. The fact that her Mom had given her something so precious meant a lot. Her Dad had given her a high-specification laptop with enhancements specially designed by Dix for the transgenic race. She got an ancient powerful greek/latin book with full translation, about the supernatural, from her Uncle Sam and her Uncle Dean gave her Dream Root so she could sneak into someone else's dreams if she wanted to. He had wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her when he'd explained how to use it and given her ideas of gate-crashing the dream world of other kids. The way he had been pointedly looking at Cade during his suggestions, had given her the suspicion that he knew about her feelings for Cade. Mila gave her a gorgeous maroon mini-dress with matching stilettos and asked if she would wear it for the party and Lima gave her a pair of diamond studs, matching the ones the twins always wore themselves. Cade didn't give her anything but that was expected. She knew he hadn't even known that the family was planning to celebrate her birthday. And, anyway it wasn't like he cared about her that he would bother with a present for her. She tried to tell her hurt heart that it didn't matter. But, her stupid heart didn't seem to listen.

To mark the Alpha pack's youngest male's birthday, it was national holiday in Deania like always. So, everyone brought their presents for Cade at home rather than giving them to him at the party since they had the time to do this. The elevator was full of presents which had been left there by the residents. It took some time to bring all the presents in and sort through them. Most of the family helped Cade. The only two who didn't were Alec and Zeva. Alec was making the dinner and Zeva was helping him because it was better than sitting in the living room area watching everyone having fun with Cade, which she couldn't do as she had no right to do that, not with him.

Biggs' family, Dalton's family and Joshua had arrived bearing presents for Cade and Zeva, sometime before noon. Now, they were all sat eating at the table whilst chatting amiably. The various conversations only came to a halt when Cade got a text message, which resulted in him excusing himself and leaving. 'I'll be back in a few minute.' He shouted over his shoulder as he went.

'What's up with him?' Dalton asked looking around at everyone. Most of them just shrugged in response.

Ryan was about to go and check what Cade was up to when Cade walked back in. He was a carrying a glass box which he placed on the bookshelf in the living room. Ryan quirked his eyebrow in question at Cade when he came to sit back at the table but got a smirk and shake of head in response.

After dinner, everyone moved to the living room where all the adults piled themselves on the couches and chairs around the tele whilst all the kids sat on the floor. Dalton, being the proud entertainments provider of the nation, had brought a film for everyone to watch. Before Alec could start the film, the quiet calm and anticipation of the room was disrupted by an awe-struck teenager.

'Really? Oh my god.' Ryan screeched in a disbelieving tone, putting himself under everyone's intense gaze. He looked around the room in apology.

'What are you squealing like a girl for?' Dean asked, smirking and slapping Ryan's back playfully.

'You don't know what's in that glass box!' Ryan defended his squealing.

Cade slapped his palm on his head. Shit. Ryan was gonna tell everyone now. He probably shouldn't have told his bro anything in the company of others where he couldn't fully explain everything. He was about to tell Ryan to shut the fuck up but he was too late. Ryan had already begun explaining the cause of his girly squeal. He knew Ryan wouldn't rest until he'd proved that the circumstances called for him acting in a girly manner because there was one thing that Ryan couldn't take and that was someone other than Cade questioning his manliness.

'That's Cade's present to Zeva for her birthday.' Ryan explained, realizing his mistake when he saw the questioning and curious looks. For the first time, he noticed Cade's panicked pale face and looked down at his hands which were resting on his lap, in shame. Cade hadn't wanted anyone to know. Well, then the idiot should've said so before he could tell anyone.

The little girls went mental. 'Can we see it?' Mila jumped up from her sitting place.

'I can't reach.' Lima tried to get it down from the shelf.

Lyla and Kyla then joined in to request their desire to see the present. They argued with the adults who said that it was up to Cade.

Cade didn't want to give it to her in front of everyone but the girls wouldn't leave him and he didn't want all the adults to make a big deal about it as they were all already asking what was so private that he didn't want to give it to her in front of anyone. So, he gave up. Half-heartedly, he grabbed the box from its resting place and then handed it to Zeva. 'Happy birthday. It's nothing special but I hope you like it.' He heard the collective _Aww _from everyone and felt himself go hot. Damn, they were going to see him blushing. He quickly went and sat back next to Ryan, punching his friend for unleashing this embarrassing moment on him.

Zeva was surrounded by all four of her sisters as she opened the box. She was dumbstruck when she saw the present.

Max, Cece and Leena leaned over the small huddle of girls to see the present. Realizing what it was, Dalton's mate, Leena, drew back with a raised eyebrow, surprise and awe evident in her expression. 'Cade, what do you have on Jay?' She asked in wonder.

'It's no big deal. He owed me a favour.' Cade replied nonchalantly. He looked over at the girls who were passing the cuff bracelet around, each giving it an intense thorough inspection.

'Cade, this is from Jay's private collection. He doesn't let anyone near his private jewels. Everyone knows that.' Cece pointed out. 'In fact, this is the first time I've seen the bracelet out of its glass case.' She added.

Jay was the nation's only jeweller. He designed and made pieces for everyone in the nation. He was brilliant in his work. A true genius. Most of the females stopped at his shop every few days because if he didn't have one of his own pieces to show, he always had some new pieces in his ever-growing private collection to show. The collection housed many unique and expensive pieces of jewellery from all around the world from different cultures. That's where he spent all the money he made from making jewellery. He was fascinated by antique and ancient jewellery of some significant importance. Beautiful pieces were showcased all around his showroom. Despite showing off his private collection pieces with enthusiasm, he didn't like anyone touching any of the pieces. They were too precious to him. So, it was a surprise to everyone in the room that Cade had managed to actually acquire one of these precious pieces.

Max studied the bracelet. 'This is the 'Pure Silver Egyptian Bast Goddess' bracelet Jay was showing a few months ago, isn't it?' She leveled a look at Cece.

'Yeah. Jay was telling me that ancient Egyptian priestesses who worshipped the feline goddess wore this as part of their sacred rituals.' Cece answered.

Sam, being the interested geek-boy grew excited. 'Wow, really? Let's have a look.' He smiled at Max in gratitude when she passed him the bracelet.

'It must've cost a fortune.' Dalton mused as he took a swig of his beer.

'How did you pay for this, Cade?' Alec asked, hoping his son hadn't done something stupid just for a piece of jewellery.

Cade felt sick of all this scrutiny. The only thing that mattered to him was that Zeva liked her present. Otherwise, he couldn't care less about the whole damn thing. 'As I said before, Jay owed me.' Seeing the adults' disbelieving looks, he grudgingly added. 'I gave him that Familiar Breeding Cult pendant that I got from Joshua when I was a baby. Jay loves it so I thought he might strike a deal.' He stared ahead, not meeting anyone's eyes.

'You loved that pendant.' Joshua pointed out.

'I don't need it. I don't wear it or anything. It was just lying around collecting dust.' Cade tried to make it sound as if he hadn't felt anything for the item.

Dean patted Cade on the back and squeezed his shoulder. Personally, he knew how hard it must've been for Cade to giveaway his own prized possession. But, his nephew had done it for love which made it all the more special. 'That was nice of you.'

Moments later, everyone seemed to forget about the present and relaxed back into their places as the movie was started up. Every now and again, Zeva glanced at Cade from under hooded eyes. She wanted to thank him for the beautiful silver bracelet. If it wasn't for her family members questioning him, she wouldn't have known how special the present really was. She was glad she now knew. Though, she was confused as to why he would go to such great lengths to give her something so precious. Maybe, it was his way of showing her that he was sorry and that he cared about her. She sure hoped so.

With the time of the birthday party nearing and the film finished, everyone left to get ready.

Zeva got ready with Mila and Lima in their room because they had insisted that it would be fun and she couldn't deny them anything. When she was ready, which didn't take long as she only changed into her new clothes and shoes, she started to help her sisters get ready.

'Wear your earrings and bracelet too.' Mila ordered as she started painting her nails in the same colour as her dress.

Zeva trained her eyes on Lima to see what her other sister thought about Mila's suggestion. Lima smacked Mila on the back and snatched the box of nail varnishes from under her nose. Pulling out a black metallic nail varnish, she sat down to paint her nails and then met her big sister's uncertain eyes head-on. The little girl's eyes softened when she saw Zeva chewing on her lips in a nervous gesture.

'For a change, Mila's right. We're all sisters. Mila and I always have our studs in so should you now that you have them. And, the bracelet will make all the girls jealous as well as making you look good. It's a win-win situation.' Lima added her own accessories to her outfit and fished in the nail-varnish box for a colour matching Zeva's dress. Finding what she was looking for, she sat in front of her big sis and held her hand as she started painting her nails for her. 'Cade will like it too if you wear it. I'm sure you'll both have one of your lets-see-if-I-can-stare-without-the-other-noticing competitions. ' Lima smirked and high-fived Mila who was giggling like mad at Lima's comments. Both sisters ducked their head in unison when Zeva reached to mess their hair in annoyance at their perceptiveness and their teasing.

The twins knew about their brother and sister's relationship or the lack of it. Although, watching the sisters together, having a go at each other most of the time, no one would ever believe it but the twins were not only sisters but best friends too. They discussed important things and not-so-important things when they were alone. They had a daily routine. They understood each other so never questioned their weird sisterhood where hushed conversations usually took place at night and the day was spent trying to prove how different they were from each other. Lima hardly ever slept so Mila regularly crawled into her sister's bed and kept her company until Lima was relaxed enough to let her muscles rest at the least if she couldn't nap. The funny thing was that even their parents didn't know about their strong bond. Everyone assumed they just didn't get along. Currently, their topic of interest for discussions was Cade and Zeva's feelings for each other and how they could help in the development of their siblings' relationship.

The girls were the last ones to be ready. After a lot of hollering from their Mom, they finally filed out of their room.

'Wow. You girls look gorgeous.' Sam grinned, his dimples making him look all the more adorable in his suit.

Dean cleared his throat as he tried to keep a lid on his emotions. He couldn't believe his eyes. His girls had grown up so quickly. 'Sammy's right. You'll knock them all dead.' He agreed, looking as gorgeous himself.

'Well, that's obvious Dean. They're my girls. Of course, they have the ability to kill with their looks. They get that from me.' Max declared proudly.

Alec scoffed. 'You got that right about the killing part but I am not quite sure about the angelic looks. You're too scary to have these adorable angels look like you.'

'Oh yeah? Well, you seem to love me despite my scariness. Alec, you are such a dumbass. I am not talking to you now. You can sleep on the couch tonight.' Max huffed out in an angry tone and slapped Alec upside his head when he gaped at her.

'Ow.' Alec feigned hurt as he rubbed at the place she had smacked him. 'Maxie, I am sick of you treating me like your punch bag. But, I won't complain if you don't make me sleep out here.' Alec said in all seriousness.

Max pouted, a hurt look marring her face, all of a sudden. She moved away from her mate. 'I wore this dress especially because you like black mini-dresses and you tell me that I'm too scary to be angelic.'

Alec felt his heart rate pick up as breathing became hard for him. He couldn't take the look of hurt on his mate's face. Usually, she never took his annoyance and comments seriously. The only thing that made her like this was when something really hurt her feelings and she felt insecure. Though, she'd never admit it. She still had a hard time talking about her feelings. He wanted to show her how wrong she was in thinking that she wasn't an angel. Because, to him she was nothing short of a goddess and an angel, even if she wasn't to anyone else. However, this wasn't the time or the place to profess his un-dying love to her. He was going to have to prove to her the depth of his love for her when they were alone tonight. 'I'm sorry Maxie. Come here.' He pulled her in his arms and nuzzled her neck. Feeling her tension leave her body, he pulled away slightly, still holding her in his arms and looking into her chocolate-brown eyes. 'Okay?' He kissed her. She nodded in response.

Dean saw Alec and Max in each others arms and smiled. Seriously, they were never going to grow up. They were still exactly like they had been when he had first stumbled into their lives. 'I think we should head out. Cade will be wondering what's taking us so long. He left ages ago.'

* * *

**A/N ; Coming up – the party, a very pissed off Zeva? ****Sara's secret? Cade on a verge of a breakdown? Ryan in a panic?**

**So guys, if you can't wait and want to encourage faster writing on my behalf, pls review…**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 –

The party was in full swing. The majority of the, now 889, trangenic population was crammed into the huge main hall made especially for such gatherings. The only transgenics missing were the ones who couldn't handle being in such a confined space with so many other beings. Those trangenics had opted to give their best wishes to the leaders' son by dropping off their presents at his home.

After the buffet dinner, which consisted of all types of foods sourced from many different places, the tables had been removed from the hall to make way for dancing. A massive stage had been erected at one corner of the hall as well as a make-shift bar, complete with stools. And, some chairs had been left against the walls for those who wished to sit rather than dance.

Zeva was currently sat on one of the bar stools watching Cade slow-dancing with a red-head. She felt like murdering the female for the way she was clinging to his body, touching him so intimately. She should've been the one in his arms, not that bitch or any other bitch who had clung to him. The red-head wasn't the only one he had danced with. It seemed all the females around their age-range wanted a piece of him. He hadn't even asked her once. She had declined the offers from her other family males to dance with her, telling herself she didn't want to dance. In truth, it was because she wanted Cade to dance with her. At first, she had tried to pretend that she had declined the offers because she didn't want to embarrass herself with the way she danced but watching Cade for the past half an hour, she realized it was hard to deny the real reason. Seeing him with other females had shattered her pretence of not caring. She looked around the hall to see if she was the only miserable female wallowing in her sorrow at the party and found that this wasn't the case.

Zeva got up and made her way to the lone young female who was sat on one of the stools near to the other end of the bar counter. 'Hey. You mind if I join you?' She pointed at the stool next to the girl's. The girl shook her head. Zeva took the seat and sighed deeply. 'I'm Zeva.'

'I know. You are Cade's pack.' The beautiful girl said, shyly. She then smiled at Zeva and placed her hand on her chest. 'I'm Sara. They are my parents.' She pointed at a couple who was dancing nearby.

'You're Blake's daughter.' Zeva stated. 'I know him. He once helped me carry one of my boxes of clothes when my sisters and I were coming from the mall. Mila said he was Daddy's friend.' She added in an excited tone.

'Yeah. Our parents are friends.' Sara nodded in agreement. She trained her intense gaze back to the dance-floor. She sighed sadly.

'You okay?' Zeva picked up on the scent of sadness and hurt as the emotions were coming off Sara in waves.

Sara looked closely at the beautiful female and realized that the female was genuinely concerned and wasn't making fun of her. Something inside Sara told her that this female was trust-worthy. She didn't understand why she felt like that. Maybe, it was her animal instincts. But, she knew she shouldn't lie to the female who had such trusting and caring eyes like the deep of the oceans. 'I'm just sad.'

Zeva saw the heartbroken look in the hazel eyes and reached forward. Placing a comforting hand on the hazel-eyed girl's arm, she requested, 'Don't be sad.'

An hour later of talking about everything under the sun whilst drinking their drinks of choice, they were best friends, practically like sisters.

'I don't believe him. The jerk. He gives me a beautiful present as if he cares about me and then he dances with all those bitches instead of me.' Zeva moaned as she glared daggers at Cade dancing with Riza. Turning to the bar, she asked the bartender to give her another beer.

Sara saw that her new friend was drinking way too much. At first, she had dismissed the idea that the older female could get drunk but now that she knew it was Zeva's first time drinking then she had concluded it was highly probable that she'd get drunk. 'Zeva, I think you should stop drinking alcohol now. Why don't you drink soda or juice?'

'How come all you're drinking is orange juice? Are you not allowed to drink alcohol?' Zeva replied with questions of her own. She had been wondering why the 14 yrs old female hadn't ordered alcohol once.

'I can't.' Sara answered, red-faced. She fidgeted with her black dress. Should she tell her new friend the reason? Could she trust Zeva enough?

'Why? What do you mean by that?' Zeva asked confused. Not knowing what could possibly be the cause.

'If I tell you, you can't tell anyone. I haven't told anyone. No one knows. You have to promise to not tell anyone.' Sara said seriously as she gave Zeva a pleading look.

Zeva was surprised by this request but she had just made her only friend in the nation. She couldn't lose her. And, Sara deserved her loyalty. The girl had proven it in the past few hours. 'I promise I won't tell anyone. You know you can trust me.'

Sara didn't know how else to say it other than using the direct term. 'I'm pregnant.'

Zeva nearly choked on her drink. 'Did I just hear what I think I heard?' She got a nod in answer. 'But, I thought you weren't like the other females.' She was disappointed that she had misjudged Sara.

'It only happened once. I've never been with anyone since or before.' Sara already hated herself and now to see the disappointment in Zeva's eyes brought tears to her eyes. 'I didn't know what was happening until it was too late to stop. I thought I was going to die in there. And, I love him.' She gave her pathetic excuses which sounded lame to herself in hindsight.

'What do you mean by 'die in there'?' Zeva asked. That's when Sara told her everything. Now that she knew what really happened, Zeva felt bad for judging Sara before finding out the whole truth. 'Who was it?'

'Ryan.' By now, Sara was crying and was inconsolable.

Zeva swallowed her shock and leaned forward to comfort her friend. She wrapped her arms around her and whispered in her ear, 'It's okay. I'm here for you. Don't worry. We'll work this out.'

A few hours later, the two girls were still sitting in the same place and chatting. However, now Zeva was pretty drunk and making fun of every singer that was now singing their hearts out on the stage.

'God, they are awful. I could do better than that bimbo. She's an insult to singing.' Zeva declared as she got off her stool. 'I'll show him what he's missing.'

'Zeva, I don't think it's a good idea.' Sara squeaked. She tried to pull her friend back but Zeva wouldn't listen. So, she gave up.

Getting up on the stage, Zeva didn't pay mind to the music that was playing on the karaoke machine. She looked at the screen and the flashing lyrics on it. Rolling her eyes at the song playing, she closed her eyes and took a calming breath. Opening her eyes again, she trained them on Cade, Ryan and all the girls who were surrounding them like moths. She smiled in sadness. They looked happy, an emotion so far removed from her and Sara's feelings. She ripped her eyes from the beautiful moths and their flames.

Not caring for the stupid karaoke song, she grabbed hold of the mic and sat herself down on the stage. Her hurt overwhelming even her foggy mind, the only song she remembered was one which was so true to what she felt in that moment, matching her feelings so perfectly tonight. She had heard the beautiful song years ago. She had the song engraved in her heart waiting to be heard. She thought for a moment as she took a sip of her drink. 'This is for you, S, I know how you feel because I feel the same way.' Meeting Sara's eyes, she smiled at her. She cleared her throat and began.

'_**And now I'm all alone again, no where to go no one to turn to  
Without a hope, without a friend, without a face to say hello to  
And now the night is near  
And I can make believe he's here**_ (she hicupped and coughed)

**_Sometimes I walk alone at night  
When everybody else is sleeping  
I think of him and then I'm happy  
With the company I'm keeping  
The city goes to bed, and I can live inside my head'_**

She smiled sadly at the truth in the lyrics. Sighing resignedly, she righted the mic in her hand from its lazy slip to her lap and resumed her heart-song where she left off.

'**_On my own  
Pretending he's beside me  
All alone  
I walk with him 'til morning  
Without him, i feel his arms around me  
And when I lose my way, I close my eyes and he has found me' _**(she hicupped)

She paused as she forgot the song. A moment later, she gathered her thoughts and remembering, started the song again, looking down at the stage floor. For the reason, she was fearful to see the faces of others, laughing and pitiful. But she couldn't stop now, when she had just mustered the courage to express her feelings.

'_**In the rain  
**__**The pavement shines like silver  
All the lights are misty in the river  
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight  
And all I see is him and me forever and forever **_(she hicupped)

_**And I know it's only in my mind  
That I'm talking to myself and not to him  
And although I know that he is blind  
Still I say, there's a way for us' **_(she hicupped)

She sighed deeply and stopped to take a gulp of the strong drink. The drink calmed her nerves and gave her the nerve to spill her guts. She wasn't finished yet. Not by a long shot. She ignored the calls for her to stop singing and to get off the stage by the heartless bastards, those young males and pretty females who were the cause of this. Oh, how she despised them. She cleared her throat and looked up, straight at Cade.

'_**I love him  
But when the night is over  
He is gone, the river's just a river  
Without him the world around me changes  
The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers **_(she hicupped)

**_I love him  
But every day I'm learning  
All my life I've only been pretending  
Without me his world will go on turning  
A world that's full of happiness that I have never known'_**

She giggled in mock happiness as tears fell down her cheeks. She took a drink of the tequila, emptying the bottle.

**'**_**I love him  
I love him  
I love him  
But only on my own.'**_

She started to sob. Throwing her empty bottle in a can nearby, she tried to stand up, nearly falling flat on her face in the process. Someone grabbed hold of her and carried her in their arms. She peered at the person. 'Cade?' She was confused.

'No, baby. It's Daddy.' Alec answered, sadly. His poor baby was so drunk, she couldn't tell the difference. She nodded her head at him and relaxed. Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes. Within seconds, she was fast asleep. Alec turned to leave with his daughter in his arms but was stopped by Sam who was carrying a very tired looking Mila and holding Lima's hand.

'The girls are tired.' Sam said a little louder than his usual soft tone, trying to be heard over the latest transgenic singing on the stage. 'I think I'll take them home.'

'Yeah. I'm coming too. Need to put Zeva to bed.' Alec responded, as he looked at the crowd of transgenics gathered around the stage.

Dean had been standing near enough to hear his brothers' conversation. He decided it was time to butt in. 'Alec, you should stay here with Max. You know, look after the party and stuff. I'll take Zeva. I'm really tired anyway. In fact, I was about to leave when she started up singing so I stayed to hear her.' Dean shifted his arms under the feather-light weight of his niece as Alec passed her to him.

'You sure you can carry her home?' Max asked, looking doubtful.

'I can still carry Sasquatch here. Of course, I can carry her. She is as light as an angel's feather.' Dean smirked.

'You'd know that.' Max shook her head, laughing. She was rewarded by Dean's dreamy smirk. She smacked him upside his head, playfully.

After repeatedly shoving the latest girl clinging to him off himself, Cade managed to get away from the brunette. He saw his family gathered in a tight circle. He quickly rushed to them. He wanted to make sure Zeva was okay. She had been so sad. He had felt the song doing something weird to his heart. And, the way she had looked at him whilst singing it had left him breathless. 'Is Zeva okay?' He asked, almost in a panic when he saw her totally out of it in his Uncle's arms.

'It's not like you care how she feels anyway.' Lima replied, rather harshly. It was always hard for her to keep her mouth in check and her opinions to herself. But, it was impossible when she was feeling tired.

Cade was taken aback by his 8 yrs old sister's comment. How would she know what he felt for Zeva? No one knew. Maybe, that was the problem. If everyone else thought he didn't care about her then what were the chances that the blue-eyed beauty herself would think he cared. 'Of course, I care.' He growled, feeling angry that anyone would dare think he didn't care about the girl he loved. Seeing the raised eyebrows and the stupid grins on his family members' faces, he hastily corrected his mistake. 'I mean, she's pack. It's my duty to take care of all pack females.' He added, shrugging. The stupid grins didn't go away. He felt like punching them all across their faces. Feeling annoyed at his family, he ignored them as he moved closer to Zeva and touched her cheek with the pad of his thumb. She looked so restless even in her sleep. He wanted to fill his nose with her scent and kiss her but he knew he couldn't. Not when he was being watched. And, not when he stank of other females. She wouldn't feel comfortable with strange female scents.

Dean was aware of Cade's real feelings for Zeva because his nephew had confessed his true feelings to him, the night before. He could see Cade trying his best to hide his worry for her and his need to be with her. 'Cade, dude, she's okay. She just needs sleep. I'm taking her home now.'

'I'll take her.' Cade tried to take the sleeping form of Zeva out of his Uncle Dean's arms.

'Cade!' Dean tried to lessen the worry in his nephew. 'Dude, it's okay. I'm taking her.' He said in a hard tone, levelling his serious eyes on the boy. The kid nodded, looking sad and moved away.

Ryan had noticed Cade leave his side to go to his family. He knew his brother must've gone to check on Zeva. No one else could make Cade leave the entertainment and the girls, other than one blue-eyed blonde. 'She okay?' He asked Cade when his friend got back with a sulky expression adorning his face.

'Who?' Cade mumbled, feigning ignorance.

'Zeva. Who else did you think?' Ryan raised an eyebrow in confusion. What the hell was Cade's agenda now? It didn't take long to get his answer as Cade started casting wary looks to the other transgenics around them.

Cade looked away for a moment, not wanting to meet Ryan's eyes. He didn't want to show how worried he was really feeling. Especially when they were in such a public place. Any transgenic with more enhanced hearing than normal would hear him professing his love for Zeva with the extent of his worry. And, he couldn't have that. He wasn't ready. 'I didn't go to check on her. I just went to see why they were all huddled together.' He replied with a shrug as he cast his eyes around him again. 'We should leave the party now and head out before anyone notices.' He added, trying to change the subject.

Ryan nodded. Following Cade out of the party, he gave his friend an intense look. 'You're worried about her.' He finally realized. Cade didn't answer so Ryan left it at that, not wanting to push him.

Minutes later, the two teenagers reached their secluded stretch of beach and retrieved their stash of alcoholic drinks from the bushes nearby. It was their tradition to drink in the last part of each others' birthdays with just the company of each other. They did it every year, had been doing it since they had been old enough to hold their liquor.

Ryan nudged Cade's shoulder as he clinked his beer bottle to his brother's scotch bottle. 'Wanna talk now?' He tried to sound casual.

'I could ask the same from you?' Cade retorted, without taking his eyes off the wide expanse of the ocean ahead of him.

Ryan was confused. 'What do you mean by that?' He took a long swig of his beer.

'I saw the way you were looking at Sara when you thought she wasn't looking.' Cade simply stated. Turning his gaze sideways to Ryan, he smirked at the look of panic on Ryan's face.

Ryan felt his cheeks heat up. 'I don't know what you're talking about, dude. I thought this conversation was supposed to be about your worry for Zeva.' He said, sourly. How the fuck had Cade seen him staring at Sara? He had made sure to not be obvious. Had someone else noticed too? Shit. Sara might have seen him watching her too.

'What's going on? Dude, you can tell me.' Cade felt his patience wearing thin. Already, he had a lot on his mind. He didn't need to be worried about Ryan's emotional state too. Knowing full well that if Ryan didn't get to talk about his feelings then he'd probably not rest, Cade insisted he be told the problem. 'I'll tell you what I'm feeling only if you tell me why you were staring at Sara.'

Ryan sighed, resignedly. 'Dude, I can't stop thinking about her. I don't know what the fuck's wrong with me. It's never happened before.' He huffed out, feeling rather ashamed about what he was feeling for a girl.

'You're in love.' Cade gave Ryan a goofy smile.

'Yeah, right? With a geek? I think she probably stole one of Uncle Sam's books to cast a spell on me or something. It can't be anything else.' Ryan concluded with a thoughtful look marring his face.

'Dude, you can't be serious?' Cade was shocked at Ryan's theories.

'Deadly.' Ryan was serious. No way was he going to even think of the possibility of having some kind of romantic feelings for a girl.

'Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep good at night.' Cade grinned and winked.

'Jerk.' Ryan made an annoyed face.

'Bitch.' Cade replied, automatically.

They both sat in silence for a while. For the next few minutes, the only sounds were the ocean waves hitting the shore and the far-away noise of the party. Drinking from their bottles, they enjoyed the fresh clean air and the familiarity of the routine.

Ryan broke the silence as he moved to grab another bottle of beer. 'You were gonna tell me about why you're so worried about Zeva.' He saw Cade's unhappy glare and smiled. It looked like his friend hadn't really wanted to talk about the female after all.

'She was sad.' Cade said simply.

'Yeah.' Ryan agreed.

'She was hurt.' Cade continued in the same way, using minimum words.

'Yeah.' Ryan raised an eyebrow. 'What's with the adjective use and that stupid tone?'

'I wanted to dance with her tonight. But, when I saw her looking like an angel, I realized she's too good for me. I couldn't ask her. Not when I know she hasn't even forgiven me yet. I don't think I could handle it if she refused me in front of everyone. All the guys know I want her as my mate.' Cade said miserably. Suddenly, he gave a mad laugh. 'This sucks. My life sucks. I haven't got the guts to tell the female I want to mate that I love her. She thinks I don't even care about her, never mind love her. Maybe, I should let her think that. She deserves someone better than me anyway. God, I love her so much.' Cade let the emotions he had bottled up inside him flow. And, it felt so good to finally say it out loud that he loved her. It was as though a burden had been lifted from his heart.

Ryan felt sorry for his brother. 'Cade, you two are made for each other. She doesn't deserve anyone but you. Same goes for you. I just hope you two stop this whole bullshit of your teenage angst and get together already.'

Cade didn't answer to that. He didn't know what else to say. He grabbed another bottle of scotch and took a long swig of it as he mulled over the words of his friend.

Cade got home at dawn. After having a shower to get rid of the awful stink of strange females, he got ready for bed. On his way to his bedroom, his eyes fell on Zeva's room door. Feeling conflicted by his worry and his guilt, he headed to her room and stopped just inside the door. Telling himself he just wanted to make sure she was okay, he slipped further into her room quietly.

She still had her party dress on but all her jewellery and shoes had been removed so she could be comfortable. She had looked so beautiful, million times better than any other girl in that hall. He didn't deserve her. She hadn't even forgiven him yet for the way he had hurt her feelings. He sat beside her on the bed and stroked her cheek, lovingly.

Giving the bed a longing look, he yawned tiredly. Thinking that she wouldn't find out if he lay down beside her for a few seconds, just long enough to get rid of the worry that was still coiled around his tense muscles, he got in the bed. He buried his head in her neck, inhaling her unique feminine scent that was now so familiar to him, and wrapped an arm around her waist. Immediately, he felt his body relax and noticed her reaction. Instinctively, she moved closer to him and sighed contentedly. Although he had come with the intention to check on her and then leave, he couldn't bring himself to do so because he felt so good, so right here next to her. For the first time in four days, he fell into a peaceful slumber within seconds.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 –

Zeva stirred and tried to stretch out. What was the pressure weighing down on her body? She opened her eyes only to shut them immediately when the harsh sunlight hit her eyes, making her head spin with pain. Why was her head hurting so badly? She gasped in pain when she opened her eyes again, though she had prepared herself for the onslaught of the sunlight. Holding her head to ground herself, she looked down at her body to find Cade sleeping with one of his mostly-naked legs wedged between her mostly-naked legs as her dress had ridden up to bunch at her waist. His arm was wrapped around her stomach and his head was resting on her chest. He looked like he was in a deep sleep. This annoyed the hell out of Zeva. What the hell was he playing at? He spends his birthday party clinging to strange females and then he decides to sleep with her? She narrowed her eyes at him in a glare but he obviously didn't stir as he didn't know that he was making a territorial female very angry.

Zeva huffed out and was about to wake Cade when a wave of nausea hit her. She panicked when she realized she really didn't remember much about the night before. Did Cade bring her home from the party? Was that why she was still in her dress and he thought he could sleep with her? A part of her wanted to shove him off but she loved him too much to even consider disturbing him when his animal instincts were relaxed. She knew that he was vulnerable in his sleep and that he could get hurt by her actions.

She tried to relax her tense body enough to be able to get out from underneath Cade without waking him. It was hard. What with Cade's hand following her and the purring sounds he was making every time she moved under him. But she managed to accomplish the task after a long time of holding breaths and maneuvering out of his very sexual touches. She knew he didn't mean to touch her like that, on her body. It was usually because he was dreaming of touching some girl. Probably, some gorgeous model he's always day-dreaming about. Well, she wasn't going to get jealous over that now. She had to get out of here before he woke up. She couldn't face him alone, like this.

Half an hour later, Zeva was greeted by the head-splitting noise of her three family-members chatting.

'Morning.' She said in a disheartened tone. She felt miserable.

'It's afternoon, honey.' Max saw the look on her daughter's face at this and laughed. 'I take it that you're feeling the effects of last night.' She smirked, ruffling an annoyed Zeva's hair.

'Mommy, my head hurts.' Zeva moaned as she shook her head at the plate of food her Daddy offered her. It seemed that her parents and Uncle Dean was the only one home other than herself and Cade. 'Where are the girls and Uncle Sammy?' She asked as she sat down on a chair, clutching her head. Her sisters couldn't have been at school, it was Saturday.

Dean chuckled when he saw Alec exchange a mischievous look with him. He knew what was on his youngest brother's mind. 'Zeva, baby, you sure you don't want some bacon cheeseburgers with extra onions or something?' Dean asked with a smirk gracing his face.

The two men looked on, mystified when they didn't get the desired reaction from her. 'Doesn't the mention of that make you feel sick?' Alec was impressed. Had it been Sam then he'd have been worshipping at the altar of the porcelain goddess by now. Although he'd been doubtful, it was evident his daughter could handle her hangover just fine.

Zeva glared at her Dad and Uncle. 'I have a strong stomach. Were you trying to make me sick?' She snapped at them in annoyance.

'Dean, Alec, leave her alone. Zeva, let me give you coffee. It'll help with the headache.' Max went to get her the elixir of life, according to herself. 'Sam and the girls have gone to Joshua's with Cece's girls. They waited for you for a bit but I told them to let you rest. I knew you wouldn't be feeling too good anyway.' Max handed the coffee to Zeva and motioned for her to drink up.

Zeva made a face as she sipped the bitter drink. 'Mom, you know I like milk and sugar in mine so why are you feeding me this?' She whined, moving the coffee cup away from herself.

'That wouldn't help you, honey. You need it strong if you wanna get better.' Max replied with a huff and made her way back to the kitchen area. Seeing Zeva shake her head in stubbornness, she planted her hands on her hips and gave her daughter her most bitchy look. 'Drink up.' Zeva pouted before taking another sip from the cup.

Alec's heart constricted painfully as he looked closely at the tired eyes and disheveled hair of his daughter for the first time since she'd come into the room. Remembering last night, he asked her the most important question of all. 'Baby, do you remember anything from the party?'

Zeva didn't really remember everything. She looked at them all, feeling nervous. All the adults were giving her an intense look as they waited for her answer. 'I don't remember much. I was talking to Sara for a while when everyone was dancing. And, then I think I sang one of my favourite songs because those other singers were just awful. That's it. I'm kinda blank on what happened next.'

Dean was wondering what drink could make a transgenic drunk. 'You remember what you were drinking, kiddo?'

Zeva shut her eyes to try to remember the name of the drink. 'I asked for the strongest drink. Oh yeah, I remember. It was tequila, I think. It was my first time. I liked it.' She gave her Uncle a toothy smile because he was grinning like mad.

Max's eyes widened. 'How much did you drink?'

'I don't know. Maybe, two bottles.' Zeva moaned as another sharp pain in her head blinded her for a moment.

'Zeva, that is too much. What were you thinking? Why did you drink so much of the stuff? Have you gone crazy? Even I wouldn't drink that much of such a strong drink.' Max yelled at Zeva in disappointment. She could expect her son to do something so stupid but she hadn't thought one of her daughters would be so careless. 'No wonder, you were so out of it.'

Tears started falling out of Zeva's eyes as her Mom chastised her. She had let her pack down. She hadn't even known she was doing it. How would she know she would become drunk? No other kids her age ever did and they drank all the time.

Dean saw his niece trying to hide her tears by holding her head in her hands. 'Max, you're being too hard on her. She didn't know what she was doing. I won't allow for you to shout at the kids for no reason. You wouldn't have been so hard on Cade if it was him who got drunk.'

'That's because he's never gotten drunk.' Max fumed. She wasn't going to let it rest until she got a promise out of Zeva that she would never drink so much in one go again. 'Zeva, I need you to promise me you aren't going to be so careless again. You can drink but just not such a stupid amount. Okay?' Max demanded.

'Mommy, I won't drink anything ever again. Please, just don't shout at me. My head hurts.' Zeva pouted through her tears that kept falling. She was already feeling awful, she didn't need her Mom to make her feel worse.

'Zeva, baby, I didn't mean to shout. You know I only say it because I love you and I don't want any harm to come to you.' Max softened her tone and pulled her daughter against her stomach. Stroking Zeva's hair, she kissed her on the head. 'I'm sorry, baby.'

'No, Mommy. I'm sorry. I should've been acting more responsible. Lima and Mila look up to me. I should set a good example, not a bad one.' Zeva sniffed as she rested her aching head against her mother's stomach. It felt a little better like that.

That was the moment, Cade chose to walk in. 'Hey, everyone.' After grabbing an apple, he came to stand next to Zeva. He had been so worried about her. She looked like crap, tired and hurt. 'Zeva, how are you feeling?' He asked her in concern. Reaching his hand forward, he was about to caress her cheek to determine whether she was feeling okay. However, she snarled at him aggressively as she batted the hand away.

Zeva couldn't believe it. The nerve of him, thinking he could touch her and talk to her whenever he felt like it. Like hell, she'd let that happen. 'None of your goddamn business.' She growled as she got up from her chair and got in his personal space. Her eyes blazed at him as she challenged him. 'You spent all night dancing with other girls and now you're going to pretend you care about me? Where were you when I was drowning my damn sorrow in bottles of tequila?' She punched him on his chest lightly, feeling frustrated.

Cade looked around at the others, blushing in embarrassment. He really didn't know what to say. Her angry almost-confession of her feelings shocked him. 'Zeva, I…' He tried to calm her but she cut him off.

'No, Cade. Today, I'm not listening. I want you to listen.' She bunched the front of his t-shirt in her hands. The fact that they had an audience was forgotten by her as she let her feelings pour out. 'I'm confused, Cade. One minute, I think you care about me but the next minute, you prove me wrong. I don't know what to think anymore. You wanna know how I'm feeling? I feel like shit. My head is on the verge of exploding and it's your fault.' She stomped her foot angrily to show how mad she was feeling. 'You know what? I'm done with you. I'm sick and tired of this bullshit. From now on, I'll be happy if we pretend the other doesn't exist.'

Cade panicked when the meaning of her words registered. 'No, Zeva. Don't be like this. I'm sorry.' He was begging her.

In a split second, she made her mind up. Telling herself that it was for the best, she sighed before she ended whatever was going on between them. 'Cade, I refuse you as my pack. I don't accept you as an alpha male. You have no right to touch me or exchange scents with me anymore.' She swallowed around the lump in her throat. 'And, I don't want you to come to sleep with me at night ever again. I refuse to be your damn body pillow. Anyway, I'm sure a lot of females would pay good money for a chance to keep you warm at night. You don't need me.' She said bitterly before letting go of him and sitting back down, taking deep breaths.

Max exchanged worried looks with her mate. This wasn't good. To have Zeva reject Cade was going to hurt Cade's male pride. They both knew how insulting it was for an alpha male to be refused by a female. And, Zeva wasn't just any female but Cade's pack. To have her practically disown him from her life was going to probably awaken her son's animal side and make him more aggressive.

Alec moved closer to Zeva and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. 'Zeva, sweetheart, you know how serious the issue of rejecting a pack member is?' He hoped that she would confirm his belief that she hadn't known about it. That wasn't to be. It appeared to be a bad day for luck.

'I know, Daddy. But I have to do this.' She tried to keep her face emotionless and blank as she trained a stony glance at Cade.

Cade was in complete shock. He had never known how it would feel to have his heart ripped out, until this moment. Zeva had rejected him as her pack. He had no right over her now. How was he ever going to be able to lay claim on her as a mate if she didn't even acknowledge his alpha rank. 'Zeva, please.' He pleaded softly, holding her gaze in the hope to change her mind. But all he saw was determination in her eyes and stubbornness in her expression. He nodded in acceptance. Not knowing what else to do or say, he placed the uneaten apple on the dining table and grabbed his jacket. He wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He didn't know how long he could hold his emotions inside of him. Already, feeling humiliated by the not-so-private rejection from his chosen female, he didn't need to add crying to the list as well.

Coming out of her trance, Max made a grab for Cade. 'Cade, baby, where are you going? Have something to eat before you go out.' Normally, the mention of food was enough to diffuse the tension in the air in her household but today it didn't work.

Cade cleared his throat. He prayed he didn't choke on the tears he was holding at bay. 'Mom, I promised Ryan I'd meet him.' Cade tried to smile at his Mom. Instead of a smile, a tear fell out of his eye. He looked down. Composing himself, he quickly managed to get a few more words out before making a mad dash to the door. 'I'll eat out.'

The deafening silence that followed Cade's departure was crushing the air in Zeva's lungs. She couldn't hold it in any longer. The dam of her tears burst, leaving her gasping for air. 'I know I hurt his feelings but I had to.' She tried to explain but no one was listening. Her parents kept telling her in soothing voices that she didn't do anything wrong. How could they think that? Why were they comforting her when they should've been comforting Cade?

'Dean, can you go and check on Cade. See, what's he up to?' Alec gave Dean a pointed look. They both knew how serious this really was. Cade was possibly feeling inadequate and suicidal because he hadn't only been rejected by a pack female but his chosen mate. That was some deep shit. Alec felt a sudden rush of anxiety and remorse for his son. He smothered his desire to join his big brother as he saw Dean leave to go after Cade.

Alec knew his son well enough to know that he would want to be alone right now. But he also knew of Cade's habit of getting aggressive when he was hurt. It wasn't hard to imagine how Cade must've felt when Zeva disowned him. Having experienced similar feelings himself with his own mate, he knew only too well. Before Max had mated with him, she had always dismissed him. To be fair to Zeva, she had only rejected Cade because he wasn't manning up to his real feelings. So, he couldn't blame his daughter much, though she could've punished Cade in some other way rather than taking away his privileges.

Dean went to Biggs' home, hoping to find Cade there. However, Cece and Biggs were the only ones in. They told him that Ryan was out too. Not knowing where else to look, he returned back home and told Alec that Ryan and Cade were more than likely together wherever they were.

Ryan heard the crunch of leaves underneath someone's approaching steps. Judging by the relaxed reaction of the cougar pack whose territory this patch of forest was, it could only be one male. 'Cade?' He shouted his brother over.

Cade saw Ryan sitting under their favourite tree. Sighing, he sat down beside Ryan. 'What are you doing here?' He didn't meet his brother's eyes as he feared he would break down.

'I could ask you the same question.' Ryan retorted. He peered closely at the hunched profile of Cade. Something was wrong. He could smell tears. 'Cade, hey, look at me.' Not getting any response from him. He jostled him. 'Cade?'

Cade started sobbing his heart out. He couldn't hold it in longer. 'She doesn't love me anymore. She rejected my alpha status and me as pack.' He wailed.

Ryan knew who the she was. 'Dude, Zeva would never reject you.' He tried to comfort Cade. He found it unbelievable that Zeva would reject Cade. He would believe that Earth was flat before he believed something so insane.

'You think I'd make something like this up.' Cade shoved Ryan away, fuming.

Rolling his eyes at Cade's aggressive display, he muttered 'Jerk' under his breath. 'Calm down, dude. Of course, I know you wouldn't. It's just…maybe, it's a misunderstanding.' Ryan suggested.

'Yeah, I misunderstood her telling me she didn't want me to touch her or exchange scents with her because she didn't accept me as pack.' Cade gritted his teeth together as he let his sarcasm take over. It was a defense mechanism, for when he was too hurt to express himself in words.

Ryan saw the hopeless look on Cade's face. He was mad at whoever was in charge of the world or cosmos or whatever. Why did it have to be them two suffering over girls? 'Cade, it's okay. We'll work it out.' He insisted. Realizing he was trying to comfort his brother as much as himself, he barked a laugh. He was just glad, he wasn't the crying type. Cade was the Emo, not him.

Cade was confused. Had something funny happened that he wasn't aware of? 'What.? Why are you laughing?' He bumped his shoulders with Ryan, who looked pretty sad all of a sudden.

'Cade, you asked me what I was doing out here?' Ryan didn't know if he should tell Cade what had happened with him. His friend had enough problems of his own; he didn't want to add to that. But, he needed to tell someone. 'I'm in deep shit, dude. You won't believe what happened to me…' The next ten minutes he spent recounting what had happened.

***About twenty minutes earlier...***

Ryan wasn't sure why Sara had called him to meet her in the same place they had spent being cooped up, over a month ago. The memories of those few hours were still so fresh in his mind, he woke up with a hard-on most mornings after dreaming of those hours. Though he would never admit to that being the case, he had a hard enough time accepting it himself. The female of his recent dreams, literally speaking, walked into the basement, looking extremely nervous and if he was completely honest, looking cute as sin. 'Hey, what did you call me here for?' He didn't waste time on pleasantries.

Sara saw Ryan give her a bored look. She felt like crying. If he didn't think she was worth his time then how was he going to take the news she had to give him? She looked away from his penetrating gaze. 'I needed to tell you something. Please, don't be mad.' She said in a small voice, chewing on her lips between her words. He always made her feel vulnerable.

'Why, what have you done?' Ryan asked, feeling nervous suddenly.

Sara prepared herself for his outrage before quickly fessing up. 'Ryan, I'm pregnant.' She saw his expression change from bored, shock, anger and finally determination.

'What?' Shit. What the fuck. Oh god, what was he gonna do? This wasn't good. This couldn't be for real. Getting no response from Sara other than a stream of tears, he added. 'Are you sure?'

'Of course, I'm sure. I wouldn't have told you if I wasn't.' Sara rolled her eyes, despite the tears falling from her eyes. Was he stupid or something? What did he take her for?

'And, you think it's mine?' Ryan scoffed outwardly for the sake of bravado. He knew for sure that if she was telling the truth then the kid could only be his.

Sara was mortified. 'You think I've been with other males?' She exhaled sharply. Her heart broke when he shrugged as if he wasn't sure. How could he think that? She had told him that she had only let him touch her because she loved him. He must not have believed her if he thought she could let other males do what he did to her. Wasn't it obvious that she wasn't the type of female who would allow any male touch her? 'Ryan, you know I've never...' She couldn't go on. She bit her lip to stop the choking she felt bubbling up in her throat.

Ryan wanted her to stop crying. He had the insane urge to comfort her. Moving closer to her, he relaxed his stance a little so she could relax. 'Sara, erm..it's okay. We'll work something out. Just stop crying. It can't be good for the baby.' And, it's not good for my heart either, he silently added in his mind. Fuck, what was wrong with him?

'Are you going to mate with me?' Sara asked the question that had been on her mind since she had realised she had a life inside her. A part of her and a part of Ryan. She wanted her baby to have a proper family, a proper pack. Her instincts were telling her she needed to mate so she could have a pack for her baby.

Ryan huffed and rolled his eyes. 'Yeah, sure.' He mocked her, sarcastically. 'Sara, you having my baby doesn't mean I have to mate with you. Ordinaries have babies all the time, they don't become life partners or anything.' He gave her his own logical reasoning. Hearing it out loud and not in his head, he knew it was an awful excuse.

'We're not ordinaries. What is everyone gonna say?' Sara gave him a horrified look.

'About that...Sara, I think it'll be for the best if you don't tell anyone who's baby it is?' Ryan felt like a mean bastard for asking her to weather the storm alone but he tried to justify his cowardice by telling himself that no one was gonna kill or hurt her for getting pregnant. Whereas, if everyone found out he was the male who took advantage of her innocence then her pack was gonna definitely kill him if his own pack didn't do it before them.

'What do you want me to tell everyone? That I am the virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus.' She asked him, incredulously. Her lips twitched on their own accord when she saw the grin on Ryan's face. She couldn't stay mad at him at all. Not even for a minute. This was seriously bad. She couldn't love him like this when he didn't even like her. It wasn't fair.

Ryan held her gaze and lost himself in the pools of beautiful hazels. After a while, he realized that he was staring when he noticed her discomfort and shyness as she looked anywhere but at him. 'I'm sure you will come up with something.' As an afterthought, he added. 'I just hope it doesn't look like me.' Though, he knew how she'd understand his comment, he really didn't mean it in that way. He just thought Sara was better looking than himself so he wanted the baby to look like her. Wait, what the hell. Since when did he think Sara was good looking enough for him to want his offspring to look like her. He was going crazy. Yeah, crazy in love, a small muffled voice inside him pointed out. The voice had been making itself known for a couple of weeks now.

'He, not it.' She corrected, feeling shy. Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. She blamed them on the baby. It had to be the baby, it surely wasn't because Ryan was looking at her in an intense way.

'What?' Ryan peeled his eyes away from her gorgeous face for a moment to concentrate on what she was saying.

'It's a boy.' Sara smiled, looking down at her stomach. She subconciously started to stroke it, lovingly.

Ryan followed Sara's movement with interested eyes. 'How do you know it's a boy?'

'My instincts told me.' She stated proudly.

Ryan couldn't believe it. He had a son in there, in her small stomach. Feeling a sudden rush of emotions towards the baby and his mother which scared the hell out of him because of their intensity, Ryan started to back away out of the basement. 'Sara, I...erm...I have to go now. I'll talk to you later about this. I need time to think.' He saw her give him a sad tearful look before nodding and then he turned around, leaving without a backward glance. However, he heard a choked sob escape her as he left and that made him lose some of the control he thought he had on his feelings.

***Now...***

Cade pulled Ryan in for a hug to show his support. This was a bad situation for Ryan. 'Dude, you're screwed. What you're gonna do?' His own problem looked small in comparison to his brother's.

Ryan shrugged. 'Don't know. Stay here until Drag's pack kicks me out of their territory.' He didn't want to talk about Sara or the baby anymore so he abruptly changed the topic. 'The pack is a little hostile today, don't you think? I mean, we've been here quite a while now and I haven't seen any females or their cubs.'

'Yeah?' Cade sniffed the air and immediately felt his hair rising in alarm. 'I can only feel alpha males in the vicinity. And, they are angry for some reason.'

'I feel it too. I think we should leave before some shit hits the fan.' Ryan looked around, cautiously.

As if on cue, the cougars started to gather near them. The dominant alpha male growled, angrily, at the other males as he paced, up front, away from the group. It wasn't long before both Ryan and Cade realised what was going on. They exchanged panicked glances. The dominant alpha had been challenged by some other younger males and now there was going to be an alpha fight and the two teenagers were effectively trapped. They knew how dangerous alpha fights were. They needed to get out before they got hurt.

Cade signaled that Ryan should leave from behind and that he will follow him. But, Ryan had other ideas. He refused to leave, telling him in signs that he wasn't going to leave Cade alone with the pack of angry alpha males who were ready for some action. Whatever way they were gonna leave, they had to do it together. Cade glared at Ryan. Fine. He took a deep breath. Repeating the mantra in his head that they were gonna be okay, Cade grabbed Ryan's arm in a manly fashion and started backing out slowly.

Nearly out of the cougar territory, they relaxed a little. In their relief, they failed to notice one of the younger male alphas slip out of the group of cougars and stalk them. He lunged at Ryan. However, Cade got him just in time, so the cat couldn't get to Ryan's neck or spine. Cade's instincts were stronger than Ryan's so he had felt their stalker earlier than Ryan did himself. Cade kicked the alpha away from his friend's body but the cougar was strong. The cat's teeth stayed deep in Ryan's leg. A moment later, Drag, the pack's dominant male who was being challenged arrived and dragged the young male off Ryan. Drag looked sad. Cade reached out to pet him but the male bowed his head and left to go back to his place in front of the angry battle-hungry alphas. Cade felt sad himself. He wished he could've helped Drag in some way. The big cat had always welcomed him and Ryan in his territory since they were kids. Drag was like another pack member and it hurt Cade to see him in danger. But, he knew he couldn't do anything.

Cade focused his attention back to Ryan and saw red when his eyes travelled to the deep gash on Ryan's leg with a lot of blood seeping out of it. He slapped Ryan upside his head. 'You idiot. Dad's gonna kill us for this.' He tried to hide his worry and helped his brother up. Cursing at Ryan for being such an asshole, he practically carried him out of the forest. By the time, he'd gotten him to his own home, Ryan was unconscious and the wound was trying to heal up.

Max's eyes widened in horror when she saw Cade carrying a wounded Ryan into their home. 'What happened?' She cried out.

Alec was discussing something with Dean in his brothers' room. He felt his mate's distress before he heard her. 'Something's wrong.' He ran to the living room, closely followed by his big brother. At the scene that met his eyes, he blinked rapidly to make sure it was real. The smell of the blood hit him as he moved closer to Ryan's pale body colouring his favourite couch, making bile rise up in his mouth. He gave his son a questioning look.

Cade didn't want to talk about it. 'Can we patch Ryan up?' He hoped that would distract the family enough to forget the questions.

Alec silently went to grab his kit. On return, he sat by Ryan's legs and started to patch him up. 'Cade, what happened? Tell me the whole story.' Knowing that the kid couldn't refuse, he made it an order. He listened to Cade confessing everything as if he was giving a mission report. Every now and again, his eyes found those of his brother's to receive comfort and his mate's to offer comfort. He'd never seen his Maxie cry like this before and he hated it.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 –

Not being able to stand the suffocation weighing down on her lungs, Zeva had told her parents she was going to go to see her friend Sara and left as fast as she could. She had hated the feeling of guilt that had bubbled inside her at the way her family treated her with so much care when Cade had left despite the fact that she was the reason Cade left home feeling hurt in the first place. So, she had fled as escaping from everything that reminded her of him was the only thing she could think of doing to ease the ache in her. This was shortly after her Uncle Dean had gone after Cade. She hoped that Cade wasn't feeling too bad. She hadn't wanted to really hurt him, couldn't hurt him without hurting herself. But for the sake of her sanity and to keep some of her remaining pride, it had been necessary to do.

After looking for Sara in the computer department of Command without luck, she had been about to give up her search. Fortunately, she had run into Dalton who had told her that he had seen Sara going to the Command basement. Following her instincts, Zeva had made her way down to the basement only to find a devastated Sara sitting on the floor in a corner, sobbing her heart out.

As she approached the distraught female, she sat beside her and without asking or saying anything she pulled Sara into her arms in a hug. It was giving comfort as much as receiving it. 'We'll be okay.' Zeva croaked out in a broken voice before succumbing to her own tears.

'I told him. He hates me.' Sara managed to say between her pain-filled sobs.

For the next twenty five minutes, the girls tried to comfort each other in vain. Their quiet admissions and crying was only disrupted when Zeva's cell phone rang. 'Hey, Mom. Yeah, Sara's with me. Okay, we'll be there in a few minutes.' She wiped at her tears as she hung up. 'That was my Mom. She wants us both at our home.'

Max looked over at the teenage boys, one laying down half passed out on the couch and the other pacing like a caged animal. Meeting Alec's eyes, she nodded in affirmation at the inquisitive look. 'They're coming.' She then walked over to Cade who looked determined to pace a hole in the floor. Stopping her son in his tracks by resting her hand on his shoulder, she raised her eyebrow in question. It was time to get to the bottom of this dealio. 'Cade, what's going on? Why is Ryan asking for Sara?'

Shit. This was exactly what he couldn't be dealing with right now. What the fuck was he supposed to say without betraying Ryan? And, he sure as fucking hell wasn't planning on doing that anytime soon. He'd rather die than rat on Ryan. 'Mom, I don't know. I'm worried as it is. I don't need you grilling me right now. I told Dad what happened, that's enough information.' He made a show of sounding extremely annoyed.

Max was shocked to hear her son using that kind of tone with her. He had never done it before. She clutched her heart dramatically to show her surprise and disappointment.

'Cade, don't talk to your mother like that.' Dean glared at his nephew before wiping a hand over his face, tiredly. So far, today had been pretty shitty. He just hoped it didn't get any worse. The next moment proved that he was probably asking for too much.

'Cade, we're all worried. And, you avoiding the question don't change the fact that Ryan's asking for Sara, a female who isn't family or pack and we need to know why.' Cece hooked her arm around the disgruntled Max to calm her down a little. She felt similar feelings to Max course her own body. She'd been spending some alone-time with her mate, Biggs, for a change, when she'd gotten the call from Max. She was still pissed off that they had to leave what they were doing just when things were getting hot. That made her one edgy female in need of an outlet for her frustrations. 'I suggest you tell us now before you're lying beside Ryan.' No one in the room batted an eyelid at the threat. They were used to Cece's promises of violence.

'Cece, calm down. Babe, look at me.' Biggs said in a soothing tone. Getting Cece's glare as a response, he smiled at her and glowed his eyes to reassure her. Seeing her visibly relax, he went back to poking Ryan for quite possibly the hundredth time since he'd sat himself on the arm of the couch, near his son's head.

'No. Biggs, how can you tell me to calm down? You know full well that when an alpha is hurt and can't seem to switch off properly in order to recuperate, he wants his pack, his family around him so why is Ryan asking for another female? If he wanted to feel safer, he would want Lyla and Kyla with him not some other pack's female. Unless Sara was his mate?'

Cade couldn't help the slip. 'She isn't his mate.' His eyes widened as he realized his mistake. He'd just dragged their attention back on himself. Ryan needed to seriously get the fuck up before the adults got to him and made him come out with something he was gonna regret.

'Then why is he asking for her whilst still operating mainly on his instincts?' Alec crossed his arms over his chest and stared his son down with a heated gaze.

Hearing the ting of the elevator in the building, Cade sighed in relief. That was close. He thanked his lucky stars as he was saved from having to come up with a plausible answer when Zeva and Sara arrived. Though the relief was short-lived because his own hurt and pain made itself known when his eyes fell on Zeva. She had been crying. It was evident in her blood-shot eyes and flushed cheeks. Actually, it seemed both females had been crying.

For a split second, Cade's eyes caught Zeva's and held her steady gaze. But, she shook her head and looked away from him instead choosing to pay attention to others in the room. She had reinforced her disownment of him in the way she had dismissed him just then. That hurt more than he wanted to admit even to himself.

Despite telling herself that she had to keep her emotions under wraps incase she aroused suspicion, Sara couldn't help it when she saw Ryan. She rushed forward, wanting…needing to make sure he was okay. 'Ryan…Ryan, what happened?' She almost wailed as she hesitantly touched his face. Not getting an answer from him, she was about to move away but before she could, Ryan's hand gripped her wrist to stop her in her tracks. Turning back towards him, she found his unfocused eyes on her. Next minute, she was sat beside him on the vacant part of the couch. His hip touching the small of her back. He didn't say anything as he placed a hand on her stomach and shut his eyes properly.

Sara had been feeling nauseous and restless for over ten minutes. She had chalked it down to the fact that it must be something to do with the baby. The baby was probably not feeling so good. So when Ryan splayed his hand over her stomach and she immediately felt safe and relaxed, no one was more surprised than her.

Seeing the little scene play out in front of their eyes, the adults were confused. Not for long though. Alec was the first to understand what was going on. Biggs wasn't so far behind. They exchanged serious glances that only said what-the-fuck. At first, the whole scene had looked kinda weird. Then, like a lightning bolt, it had become glaringly obvious what they were dealing with. Currently, the two male alphas were pretty much communicating solely with the help of meaningful looks and body language because they didn't know what else to do without freaking out their mates in the process.

'Sara, sweetheart, does Blake know you're here?' Alec thought it best to ease into the most serious question of all rather than directly asking it. The little girl was looking nervous and bleary-eyed. All he got was a shake of the head in response. 'Why is Ryan treating you like that?' What else was he supposed to say? He couldn't possibly ask the girl if she was pregnant. That conversation was going to be awkward. And, he'd rather let Biggs do it when Ryan was up.

Although Sara had started to cry at this point, she didn't tell anyone the reason. Ryan's words kept playing in her head. He'd wanted her to keep it a secret that he was the father of her baby. Anyway, she couldn't tell his family anything as she hadn't even told her own parents about her pregnancy. Just the thought of the confrontation with her parents put her on edge. She hadn't been able to muster the courage to tell any adult. She knew their disappointment would hurt so much. Nevertheless, she was going to have to swallow the pain and tell her parents soon because she was due to see a doctor.

'Leave her alone. Daddy, please just let Ryan get better then you can ask him whatever you need to ask.' Zeva was quick to defend her friend.

Silence descended on the room as Max and Cece moved into the kitchen to make coffee and the three male adults left to go into Dean's room to discuss the situation.

The adults had busied themselves but the teenagers had remained in the living area. Sara was still sitting beside Ryan's resting body as his body worked to get it back to normal.

Cade was now leaning against a wall, trying his hardest not to stare at Zeva. A harder feat than it may appear. Ripping his eyes off the irritating female who he loved and hated on equal measures for the moment, he trained sympathetic eyes on Sara. The female was beautiful in a cute and adorable way. She had this innocent quality to her which radiated off her in a glow. A quality which reminded him of his little sisters. He could see why she'd had such an effect on Ryan. No matter what his bro said, he was a sucker for the cute, virginal types. Cade smiled at the thought. After giving another mental berating to Ryan to get up, his eyes travelled back to where they had been ripped from.

Zeva hated the silence and the way Cade was refusing to look at anything but her. She didn't need this. It was hard enough as it was. What with telling him sh didn't need him. Having to deal with the way her body heated up and how her breathing hitched at his intense gaze was totally unfair. She huffed out to show her exasperation and crossed her arms over her chest in an act of indifference. Focusing her eyes back on Sara and Ryan, she realized that although it seemed Ryan's instincts were already involved with the unborn baby, they didn't seem to be involved with Sara herself as he was resting in a peaceful slumber whilst the little girl was crying, clearly in distress. If his instincts recognized her then he wouldn't've been resting right now, he would've been awake and his need to comfort her would've been overriding his every other instinct. This made Zeva feel worse for Sara. The sweet female deserved love and comfort. Getting lost in her thoughts, she ignored the long stares that were directed to her from across the room.

'So, let me get this straight. You think Sara's pregnant?' Dean asked again to make sure he'd understood his brother's theory right.

'Yeah.' Alec said simply.

'Dean, you saw how Ryan touched her on her stomach as soon as she was close enough to him. There is no other explanation. It all makes sense now, why he couldn't relax enough to heal faster without her. His instincts needed him to know if his kid was safe. It's natural.' Biggs explained his best buddy's and his own logic to the eldest member of the family.

'What are we gonna do?' Alec made a face as if he didn't know whether he should be happy or mad. He was feeling like that too. Conflicted.

Dean thought about the situation as he paced the room and then a thought occurred to him. 'I think we should call Blake and whatshername here. Thank god, the girls aren't here. They're too young for this baby-drama. I'll call Sam and tell him to stay at Josh's until I give the all-clear.'

'Why should we call Blake and Tiga?' Biggs was puzzled. It was clear in his annoyed and intense expression.

'We need to sort this out as a family.' Alec immediately realized what his brother had in mind. 'Ryan will be up soon. We should make those calls.'

About fifteen minutes later, Ryan came out of the state of bodily shut-down. Looking around the room, he found three different packs giving him questioning glares for some reason unknown to him. Soon as his brain started coming out of the haze of confusion to full wakefulness, he realized what the reason for everyone's scrutiny was. He had a beautiful hazel-eyed female sitting beside him, crying silently as she tried to hide her face behind a curtain of her hair. His hand was splayed on her stomach and somehow that fact didn't surprise him. In fact, it was as though somewhere in his subconciousness he had known. And, it felt so right.

'Ryan, you're awake?' His Dad said, raising an eyebrow.

Ryan sat up and immediately regretted it. Sara looked at him, evidently just realizing that he was awake. She looked apologetic as she got up and walked over to Zeva. Damn, he felt cold all of a sudden. Having the brunette so close to him, he had been feeling warm and content. Now that the feeling was gone, he wanted nothing more than to have her beside him again. What the fuck was wrong with him? That cougar really did a number on him if he was entertaining such thoughts. He shook his head to clear it. Then, he focused his attention on getting up and the hell out of this place. Deciding to go down the route of sarcasm to deflect any unwanted questions, he answered. 'No, I'm still in cloud 9.' He rolled his eyes.

Now that his brain was functioning properly, Ryan was horrified to see that the three packs present were his, Cade's and Sara's pack. Warning bells started going off in his head. Had Sara told everyone? He knew he could trust Cade to not tell but he wasn't really sure about females and their lousy instincts. This was the only plausible explanation as to why her pack was there. What the fuck had he missed? Trying to catch Cade's eye to determine the situation, he kept his gaze locked on his bro. However, it seemed Cade had better places to look at than him. Cade was staring holes into Zeva. Great. He was well and truly screwed.

'What's with you needing Sara when you were hurt and touching her stomach?' Cece asked, straight to the point as usual. Blake and Tiga growled in an angry manner but Alec and Max managed to keep them in check.

'It's no big deal.' Ryan swallowed visibly. Shit. He was dead meat. He saw Cade had decided to spare a glance his way. The lucky bastard. What he would give just to be having his problems rather than his own right now.

'She's my female, my daughter.' Blake took a defensive stance as he huffed out his statement. 'I need to know.'

'Fine.' It was best to just admit it and then deal with the consequences. It was next to impossible to pretend that the kid wasn't his anyway. Already, he needed to know the kid was safe before he could relax and the kid wasn't even born yet. 'You all wanna know the truth?' He saw Cade, Zeva, and Sara's horrified faces as he said this. There was no going back though. He'd made his mind up and he was gonna go through with it. 'Sara is pregnant with my son.'

It was like a bomb had exploded in the room, literally. Suddenly, Blake and Tiga both charged at Ryan with the other adults trying to make a grab for them and talk sense into them. Sara went to defend Ryan. She planted herself between Ryan and the adults, sheltering him from any attack that may come his way. This didn't help matters any as Ryan became worried for her and the baby's safety and well-being. So, he turned her around in his arms, holding her in his embrace to keep her safe.

Zeva was frozen in shock. She had never seen such aggressive behaviour before in her life. It scared her. Although she knew she wasn't in danger, her animal instincts were in the fight or flight mode because this aggressiveness was happening in her territory. It was natural to feel like this. The others didn't look as scared as her rather they looked as though for them this was a daily occurrence. Maybe, this wasn't new for them. She mournfully looked at her pack members because she needed to feel safe. Her eyes met Cade's as she tried to calm herself down. His eyes were glowing and he was fidgeting. Belatedly, she understood the act for what it was. He had picked up on her distress and wanted to comfort her. He couldn't come to her to make her feel safe so instead he had tried to comfort her from far by glowing his eyes at her like a mate would. She wanted to cry at this realization. She probably shouldn't've rejected him. Waves of sorrow washed over her as she wallowed in her guilt, sadness and loss.

'Everyone just calm down. Blake, Tiga, we know you're mad but you need to fucking calm down. We'll sort this out.' Alec said in a loud bark. Seeing the adults calm down a little, Alec trained his eyes on his own son. He'd been busy keeping Ryan and Sara alive and out of harm's way when he'd gotten the feeling of distress as a signal from Cade. As soon as his eyes met his sons, he knew what his son's problem had been. Apparently, Cade had picked up on Zeva feeling scared. Alec marched over to his trembling daughter and nuzzled her neck. 'You okay, baby?' He was rewarded with a beatific smile. Deciding to stay with his little girl, he hooked his arm around Zeva's shoulder and pulled her into his side.

'Like fuck we'll do anything but kill this little piece of shit.' Blake barked out.

'Excuse me…' Cece was furious.

'I don't mean anything about you or Biggs. It isn't your fault you have a dick asshat as your son.' Blake retorted.

By now, Ryan's entire family was fuming. 'Well, it takes two to tango.' Dean snapped.

'Yeah. First, talk about your own kid before you say things about another's.' Max had her hands on her hips and her most bitchy face in place.

There was sudden silence that overcame them as they all gave each other glares and angry growls.

'Will you all stop it?' Ryan said it more for Sara's sake than his own. She looked like, any minute, she was gonna collapse on him. 'This is bad for the baby.' He couldn't admit to anyone that at this point he was more worried about the mother than the baby.

'You have no right over my daughter or her son.' Blake declared as he pulled Sara to his side. 'We're leaving. There's nothing to discuss.'

Cece and Biggs both moved so they were blocking the exit. They exchanged a knowing glance and then Cece had Sara free of her father's grip. 'Go. Stay with Alec and Zeva.' She told the girl. Sara obeyed without hesitation.

'Fuck you all.' Blake said in resignation as he followed Biggs to the couch to sit, Tiga at his heel.

'Please, just let me sort this out.' Biggs tried to keep his tone light. Receiving quick short nods from Sara's parents, he fixed his attention back to Ryan. 'Ryan, will you mate Sara?'

'No. Her having my baby doesn't mean I have to mate with her. I don't even know anything about her.' Ryan didn't know why he felt awful as he said those things. They left a bad taste in his mouth.

'You just used her, you bastard.' Blake said.

'She wanted me as much as I…' Ryan was cut off.

'Shut up, Ryan.' Biggs glared at his son. Seriously, his son didn't know when to give the fuck up.

'I'm so disappointed in you, Sara. I thought my baby was different from those other girls. I guess I was wrong.' Blake directed his wrath on his daughter. 'I never needed any other kid. You were enough for us. This is how you make us proud? Huh? I had such high hopes for you. I was wrong.'

'No, Daddy. Please, don't say that. I didn't mean to…I only….' Sara sobbed.

'Blake, relax. I think, for now we'll just keep this to ourselves and as the pregnancy progresses we'll tell everyone.' Biggs started to rattle off the solution to the problem. A part of him, which was the bigger part, was happy and not seeing it as a problem. Damn, he was gonna be a grandpa. Shit, he was getting old.

'What the fuck is everyone going to say?' Blake fumed.

'It's none of anyone's business. And, anyway these kids need our support now, not us chastising them. What's done is done. Let's forget about that and move forward.' Max really didn't see why this was such a huge deal. Yes. She would freak out if one of her daughter got banged up so young but it couldn't be undone. No need to kill someone over it. And, who knew the kids might start liking each other enough to mate with other if they gave each other a chance.

Blake scoffed. 'Well, okay then. Let's move forward with this, shall we? Your son says he won't mate with my daughter. So, I don't want to see your son anywhere near my daughter until the baby is born. Once the baby's born, he will get his visitation rights.' He got up from his seat and leaned closer to Biggs in threat. 'If I see your son near my daughter, I will kill him.' He stood back up and smiled in an evil way. 'How about that?'

'That's not fair. I'll need to talk to her sometimes about the baby.' Ryan felt panicked. No. They couldn't take her away from him.

'You can see her.' Tiga spoke for the first time. She wanted her daughter to have a pack for her baby and the only way that was going to happen was if Ryan mated her. 'But you will always get my permission before you can talk to her or see her.' She nodded.

'Thanks Tiga.' Max let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and saw Cece nod at the other female in gratitude. She had a feeling that this was more than a mere permission asking deal to show who was incharge. It was a decision born from a mother's need to see her daughter happy. And, she understood that, was pretty sure Cece got it too. Max already knew Cece would have no qualms about having Sara as a pack female. They had been discussing this prospect when they had retired to the kitchen area with the excuse that they were gonna make coffee. Cece had understood the implications of Ryan touching Sara's stomach. After being told, Max could see it too. So, they had decided to keep the information to themselves and play along with their mates' plans. It had worked out kinda. At least, the kids weren't harmed.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N; Thanks for your awesome reviews everyone…They motivated me so much that I rushed to write this chapter as a thankyou…****Love you all…You're all awesome readers and I am proud to have you guys as this story's fans because I know you love this story as much as I do…Keep spreading the love…**

Chapter 23 –

Cade and Ryan spent the next five days jet skiing, quad biking and sailing in the company of their Uncles and their Dads because the Winchesters were due to head back to the states so wanted to spend the last few days doing some good manly bonding as usual. The teenage boys always loved spending time with their Uncles and their Dads. This year the time they spent together had another added advantage. It was a great distraction from the problems they were having with the girls that had slowly but surely wormed their way into their lives and hearts.

When it came time for the Winchesters to leave everyone was sad as always but the brothers had to go back to their lives and their waiting partners. They left with a promise that they'll have another family get-together soon. Sam's parting words of wisdom to both his nephews were to get their acts together and sort their girl problems out soon. Dean had been more sympathetic, telling them that he was hoping to hear some good news in the near future.

Once the Winchesters had left, things became harder for the two boys because now they only had each other for comfort and it didn't help one bit. How could it when they both were hurting? There attempts to console the other were futile because it appeared that being miserable was kind of contagious. They just couldn't draw comfort from each other at all when they knew the other was as miserable as them.

Cade began spending more time at Ryan's, sometimes not returning home for days. He didn't want to be away from his pack but he also couldn't bear being around Zeva anymore. It was too painful. Ryan's bedroom had become a safe haven of sorts for both boys. They formed almost a routine in their lives to cope. Everyday after school, they picked their sisters up and then locked themselves away in the room. Only getting out for food or to go out drinking to get their mind off things. Thankfully, Ryan's room was big enough to house a few people comfortably so they had a lot of room as not to feel crowded. Or else, they would've gone mad just staying there as their instincts demanded space.

Despite Cade's resolve to avoid Zeva, he saw her everyday in school and the times he went home to see his pack because of missing them. Things were bad for him. Worse than how things were for Ryan. At least, his friend didn't have to see the cause of his heart-ache everyday. He did and he didn't wish the feeling on anyone.

Things got a whole lot worse for both boys when Cece announced that she, Max and Tiga had decided that Sara was better off staying with Ryan. She broke the news whilst both packs, Ryan's and Cade's, were having dinner together a week after the boys had come to a silent agreement to pretend they had no problems by locking themselves away when their Uncles were gone. Cade had wanted to miss the dinner but Ryan had forced him to come along. They were all at Cade's home. Currently, Cade was looking down into his plate like nothing else existed. He was ignoring his two sisters who were sitting on either side of him. They kept poking him to get a reaction from him but he was determined to not look up because every time he did, his eyes inadvertently travelled to Zeva. He understood that his sisters had missed him because he had hardly seen them in the week so were just trying to get him to interact with them but he couldn't bring everyone's attention to him. The girls didn't even know that Zeva had rejected him as pack. Their confusion at his behaviour was understandable. He didn't want to tell his sisters about it because he knew they would freak out and take out their anger on Zeva. And, he didn't want that to happen.

'Max and I have decided that Sara should stay with Ryan until the baby is born.' Cece said around a mouth full of potatoes. 'Tiga agreed when we talked to her. She understands and she said she can persuade Blake.'

'It's a great idea.' Alec paused in his cutting of his stake. He already knew about this because he and Max had organized the secret meeting between all the adults of the three packs at Command. He had persuaded Blake to see sense that the only way Ryan was going to mate with his daughter was if his instincts became involved with her.

'It makes perfect sense. She'll feel better if she's around him.' Biggs nodded in agreement. The adults had already discussed this matter at length. This conversation was essentially for the benefit of the kids. The adults had decided that it was better to talk it out with all the kids before telling Sara to join them and having her listen to opposition which was sure to occur. It would only hurt the little girl's feelings and she was in too much of a fragile state for that.

Coming out of his shock, Ryan made a scandalized face. 'What??!! No. What do you mean by her staying with me?' He started shaking his head in disbelief.

'Ryan, relax. If the baby isn't around you, he won't feel safe. And, Sara might get distressed which could result in complications. When a female is pregnant, her first priority is to make sure the baby feels okay. Being worried about the baby will only make Sara feel worse.' Max tried to explain in her most authoritative tone and she glared at Ryan for good measure. 'It's your responsibility to look after her.'

'Like hell it is.' Ryan growled.

Cade didn't know whether to punch Ryan for using that tone on his Mom or back the jerk up. His friend had been awesome to him this past week. When he'd had nowhere else to go, he'd had Ryan's room to crash in. That fact alone pretty much decided it for him. 'Mom, she's not his responsibility. She isn't his pack.' He stole a quick glance at Zeva. She was clearly ignoring him. It was obvious in how she was discussing something with Kyla in a hushed whisper. 'Can't everyone just let one of us be happy at least?' He muttered under his breath. The sound of simultaneous knives and forks hitting plates was loud in the low sounds in the dining area as Mila and Lima both launched themselves at Cade. Wrapping their arms around his waist, they started rubbing their noses in his t-shirt to make him feel better.

It would be a lie if Cade claimed to be surprised because he wasn't in the least surprised. He knew his sisters well enough to see the signs of them doing something like this. He was more surprised they had waited so long. He'd missed them like hell. They were his babies. Even when fighting, there was this special bond they shared that never broke. He sighed, feeling the love wash over him. The adults gave them questioning and amused looks before resuming their discussion.

'Do you want the baby to feel safe, Ryan?' Cece gave her son a serious look as she asked him the question in her well-rehearsed grave tone.

'Of course, I do.' Ryan rolled his eyes. Seriously, what did his unborn son have to do with this? He still didn't get it. Why was everyone always pressuring him into doing things? It wasn't reasonable.

'Then, you should have no qualms with Sara staying at our home under our protection until your son is born.' Cece said, matter-of-factly.

'It'll be cool. I always wanted a big sister. Lima and Mila have one and Lyla has me. So, it'll be awesome to have an older girl at home.' Kyla tried to reason, hoping her words may calm her brother. 'And, she's really good friends with Zeva so that means she has to be awesome.' She declared truthfully. She held Zeva in great esteem and respected her judgment conclusively. If Zeva said Sara was good enough to be Ryan's mate than she was willing to believe it.

'Fine. But, I want you all to be clear that I'm doing this for my son. I don't care about Sara and you can't change my mind about her.' Ryan tried to show indifference. 'You better give her the guest room on the other side of our home, away from me.' He added hastily as he remembered there were many guest rooms in their home and one was close to his room. She couldn't have that. It was too damn risky for him. He was already gonna have to put up with having her around. Maybe, he should set up camp in the forest. Drag's pack owed him for the little stunt one of his males had pulled last time.

'Sara won't be staying in a guest room.' Max calmly let the bombshell drop. 'She will be sharing your room with you.'

Ryan thought he was about to suffer from a major heart attack judging by how his heart was beating so rapidly now, even missing a few beats here and there. 'Are you fucking kidding me?' He squeaked out as he looked around the table at the adults, giving them a wide-eyed look. He looked at Cade and immediately felt jealous that Lima and Mila were still hanging onto him as if holding him was their means of breathing and he was their air-supply. A moment later, he had a lap full of Lyla. It seemed she had picked up on his need for comfort. Hugging her, he nuzzled her neck to show his appreciation.

'Ryan, I usually don't allow this type of language in front of the girls but I won't punish you this once. I know our decision is hard on you. We are only doing what is best for our grandson.' Biggs scolded.

There was a long silence that followed as everyone waited for Ryan to retaliate or give some indication of his acceptance. 'When is she moving in?'

'Tonight. We'll pick her on the way back home.' Biggs supplied as he tucked into the dessert Max had just placed on the table.

'I need to go and get my stuff from Ryan's room.' Cade murmured. This situation was bad for him too. Sharing with Ryan, he hadn't paid much attention to his inability to sleep properly. He only managed naps and that was when he was beyond tired. Ryan only slept for five hours a night so he had been able to keep Cade's company in his sleepless nights. What was he going to do now?

'I knew about Sara staying in Ryan's room. I had Cece bring your stuff.' Max pointed at the bag behind one of the couches. 'Your things are in there.'

Cade tried to smile. He almost managed it but his true feelings were reflected in his green eyes. 'Thanks, Cece.' He bit his lip.

'It's good to have you back home.' Max smiled at his son, meaning the words. She saw him everyday but not having him coming home for comfort had put her nerves on edge.

'Yeah.' Alec agreed with a dazzling smile of his own gracing his face.

The thought of crashing at Joshua's crossed Cade's mind. However, it had been a fleeting thought. Though, they all loved Joshua as family, they still knew their limits. It was common knowledge that Canines and Felines couldn't sleep comfortably around each other. Cade wasn't worried about his own sleep but Joshua didn't deserve to sleep restlessly. So, he resigned himself to spending long nights full of thoughts of a blue-eyed beauty.

Sara had been picked up by Ryan's pack at nine in the evening as her Mommy had said she would be. She had been so nervous and scared. Immediately, she could tell his parents and sisters were okay with her moving in with them. But, Ryan's attitude was another case. He had just glared at her before grabbing her bags out of her hands to carry them for her. She had smelt his anger and seen the tension in his body in the way he walked ahead of her and the rest of his pack. It had caused her to start crying. She hated crying. It wasn't her. In her life, she had rarely ever cried before her pregnancy. Now, anything and everything brought on the water-works. Ryan's sisters had linked their arms with hers in an act of comfort. It hadn't helped. Her Mommy or Daddy always could make her feel comforted but they weren't there to comfort her anymore. She was going to have to look after herself.

Arriving at their home, Sara had been delivered a shocking blow. Cece had guided her to take a seat. 'Sara, we have guest rooms but the baby will feel better and settle if he stays surrounded by his father's scent.' She had nodded dumbly at the older female's words of advice. 'We have decided you will stay in Ryan's room. Your Mom agrees with me.' Cece had dropped the bombshell. All she could do was blink repeatedly to make sure she wasn't dreaming or something.

Looking at Ryan's tight expression and his mouth clamped, Sara had realized Ryan wasn't okay with the arrangement. Knowing this, she tried to make it better for him when they all had to go to their bedrooms to sleep. 'Ryan, I'm sorry. I don't know how they found out you are the father.' She said, taking her nightwear out of one of her bags. She silently thanked the person who had put an en-suite bathroom in the room. Pregnancy had many downsides and one of them was she needed to pee a lot during the night. 'Can I use the bathroom, please?' She didn't want him to think she was going to lay claim on his territory by acting as though she could do anything she pleased without permission. Asking permission for everything was important.

'It's your bathroom too. You don't need to ask permission.' Ryan smiled a fake sarcastic smile. 'First you ruin my social life and now you can ruin my personal life. It's not like anyone cares about the invasion of my privacy. Go ahead.'

For a moment, she had actually believed he was being nice to her until he had told her his real feelings. 'No. It's okay. You can go first. I'll go after you.' She was determined to get on with him because every time he was angry, her stomach felt awful. She was sure it was the baby. Their son didn't like his father angry. And, she had to make sure her baby was okay. Even if it meant swallowing the pain Ryan's mean jibes caused with a smile on her face.

'Fine.' Ryan said and marched into the bathroom, clutching a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. He was gonna have to wear a t-shirt from now on. Damnit. He hated sleeping in anything other than just a pair of boxers. In his heart, he knew the way he had acted towards her was uncalled for. She hadn't done anything wrong. She must've been nervous and scared being away from her pack for the first time and he was being mean to her. He felt bad. Quickly finishing his nightly routine of getting ready, he opened the bathroom door only to find her sitting on the floor and tears streaming down her eyes. 'What's wrong?' He asked her, feeling uneasy.

Sara was confused. 'What??!! Nothing.'

'You're crying.' Ryan pointed at her cheeks.

'It's just the pregnancy hormones. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…' She was cut off by his sharp intake of breath.

'Stop saying sorry. You can use the bathroom now.' Suddenly, he felt flustered and nervous. It felt awful seeing her tears. What the hell. What was wrong with him? He shouldn't feel anything for her. Especially now that they were sharing space. It would be too dangerous to feel anything, she might find out that he had the hots for her. She would take it to mean something serious. But, it wasn't. It was just sexual feelings. The small voice in him called him out for his bluff but he ignored the voice. Seriously, that voice of his conscious was beginning to piss him off lately.

Sara nearly squealed in joy. She had been dying to go to toilet. She quickly got in to the bathroom and started getting ready for bed. She was tired. All the decisions, all the glares, all the feeling of restlessness had taken its toll on her. All she wanted now was to crawl into a soft bed and sleep until it was absolutely necessary for her to wake up. She was glad she didn't have to go to school. She couldn't imagine how she would've coped. Since she had told Dix a couple of days ago about her pregnancy, he had been kind enough to tell her she could take as many days off as she wanted or go in to command later than usual.

Having done everything else, she started to change into her nightwear when she realized her Mommy had packed her usual nightwear consisting of girl boxers and a vest top rather than the nightwear she had bought when her small bump started to show. Her Mommy had said that her bump wasn't really showing yet but it was rather she could see a bump because she felt a baby inside her. She bit her lip. It was okay to wear this nightwear at home but she couldn't wear this here. Not when Ryan was going to be in the same room. Although she had experienced sex only once in her life, she found she craved the feelings she'd felt then. The need had only intensified when she had realized she was pregnant. Because she couldn't talk to anyone about it, she thought about it quite a lot. Recently, she had begun having vivid dreams of Ryan making love to her. She took deep breaths before clutching the clothes she took off to her mostly naked body and got out of the bathroom.

Ryan nearly fell off the bed when he saw Sara come out wearing nothing but a vest top and boxers. He could tell she was feeling embarrassed. It was clear in the way she blushed and looked down at the carpet. 'Have you got a sleeping bag?' She asked him in a small voice.

'Yeah. We have some in our camping stuff. Why?' Ryan tried not to notice how beautiful she looked. And, he also tried not to think how much he wanted to take off her nightwear and explore that body of hers. He mentally berated his downstairs brain for waking up. He moved about to get in a sitting position where she couldn't notice his erection.

'I'll need it. I can't sleep on the floor without cushioning. The baby might get hurt.' She explained.

Damnit. Did she not know that she shouldn't give him puppy dog eyes and pout at him like that? Was she on a bloody mission to seduce him? Cause it sure as hell was working. 'You don't need a sleeping bag.' She gave him a confused look. 'You're sleeping up here on the bed.'

'But…where…are you sleeping on the floor?' Sara chewed on her bottom lip. Wherever she was going to sleep, she didn't care. She felt so tired. She didn't want to discuss sleeping arrangements but it was necessary.

'No. We're both sleeping on the bed. It's big enough to fit five people on it. There's only two of us. I'm sure we can stay on our own sides. I'll make a pillow barrier and then it'll be like two beds.' Ryan had thought about this problem whilst she'd been locked up in the bathroom. He thought the pillow barrier was good idea because he didn't want to sleep on the floor.

'Okay. I'm really tired.' She yawned. 'Can you make the barrier now so I can sleep?' She didn't wait for his answer. She got into the vacant side of the bed and after fussing over the angle of the pillow for a bit, she buried her head deep in the pillow and was out within seconds.

Ryan watched her dumbfounded for a few long minutes before he got himself together. He piled pillows he had nicked from the store room when the idea had first struck. Making the barrier, he kept watching her sleep from the corner of his eye. Once the barrier was made, he leaned his whole body over it as though it were a body pillow. He was mesmerized by the sight of Sara sleeping. It was the first time he was watching her sleep. Despite being in unfamiliar surroundings and in another male's territory, she was in a deep sleep. She looked peaceful. The reason for her lack of fear as she slept in his territory had something to do with his son. He was sure of it. Hesitantly, he reached out and placed a hand on her stomach. Hoping she didn't wake up, he stroked her a few times before he felt the connection, the bond he'd been too scared he wouldn't feel. His son rewarded him with a movement against his hand. In her sleep, Sara's hand found its way to her stomach but instead his hand was in the way. She didn't move his hand away as he had thought her instincts would make her do. Her hand came to rest on top of his and she sighed in her sleep. Ryan couldn't deny the well of emotions that burst in him from her small gesture. Honestly, he was just happy that the only witness to his feelings was a little boy who was still in his mother's womb.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 –

Miraculously, Cade was able to fall asleep the first night back home despite being alone in his own bed. For this reason, he was particularly happy the next day. He didn't let anything dampen his mood. Not his sisters' inquiring about his absence over the week and not the cause of the absence. Oh yeah, nothing could get him down today. What he didn't know was that the reason he had slept through the night without waking even once was his parents. They had rubbed his pillows against their necks and chests to leave their own scent on them so their son could sleep peacefully. They were glad it had worked. It had been Alec's idea. Alec hoped that Cade would be able to sleep tonight as restfully as the night before but without any help.

At the moment, Alec was lying down in his own bed waiting for Max to join him. 'Maxie, hurry up. What the hell are you doing in there?' He hollered for her to get out of their en-suite bathroom. Having kids meant the only alone-time he got with his mate was at night. He sure as hell didn't want to waste it. When they had first mated, they had mostly walked around in their home in underwear because it was easier to touch and kiss that way. After Cade had become old enough to understand things around him, they had toned their displays of affection down a little and started wearing actual clothes. Then, the girls had come along and they stopped being overly touchy-feely because they didn't want them to get a bad influence. Already Alec thought Cade's screwed up love life or the lack of it was their fault. Whereas, Max was convinced his tom-catting around had something to do with the genes he inherited from Alec and was the reason why Zeva wouldn't want him as a mate.

'I'm out. What do you want?' Max smacked Alec as she got in bed beside him.

'I want you.' He got on top of her and buried his face in her neck.

Max smiled as she slapped Alec upside his head in an affectionate manner. She was rewarded by her mate kissing and sucking on his mark before trailing kisses down her naked chest. 'You think Cade will be able to sleep tonight?' Nibbling on her collarbone was his response. 'We probably should've rubbed our scents on his pillows again.' She mused. 'Alec, are you even listening?' She smacked on his ass, annoyed with him.

Seriously? Was he ever gonna get some loving? It had been over a week since he had made love to her and now she was worried about Cade's sleeping habits when his dick was about to explode. 'Maxie, I'm listening. But, all I can think of right now is how good I'll feel when I'm inside you. We haven't had sex for over a week. You know that's too long for us.' He resumed his assault on her body. Feeling a shudder course through her body, he knew the discussion wasn't over. She was in her protective-mother mode which meant she wasn't gonna relax until she was assured of her son's wellbeing. Great. He grudgingly pulled away and looked in her chocolate brown eyes. 'Maxie, Cade slept like a baby last night. In his mind, it was his victory. He proved to himself he could sleep without Zeva. Tonight, he'll sleep because he thinks he can. The mind is a very powerful thing, b. You know that.' He waited for her to catch on. The smile that broke out on her face at the realization made his heart leap in joy.

'Yeah. You're right for a change.' Max rolled her eyes when Alec scoffed. 'You know, I knew they liked each other as you're the one who pointed it out to me. But I didn't realize before how much they really love each other until Zeva rejected Cade. He's hurt but she's suffering too. Though she tries to hide it, I can feel it. I wish they'd just stop this madness and admit their feelings to each other.' Max sighed.

'They remind me of someone I know.' Alec waggled his eyebrows and grinned at her.

'You ass.' She smacked him on his chest as he descended on her to kiss her.

'Always with the ass.' He shook his head in mock shock and winked before kissing her at her pleasure point making her forget her retort.

Cade didn't understand it. Why hadn't he been able to fall asleep? He had spent all night tossing and turning restlessly in his bed. Hours of frustration later, he'd given up and gotten up. There was no point staying in bed if he wasn't going to sleep. He didn't bother getting changed as he left his room. No one was going to be up at this ungodly hour anyway and it wasn't like he was naked or anything. He had his boxers on. If by any chance Zeva did get up and see him, she could get uncomfortable because he really didn't care.

Making his way into the living room, he looked around sadly. He tried sniffing the air to determine where his pack's scent was stronger but it was all the same. He knew the main reason he couldn't sleep properly was Zeva but he had been at least napping before, now he couldn't even do that. He realized it was because he needed comfort.

Wistfully, Cade thought of the time when he was young enough that he could ask for comfort without feeling as though he was doing something wrong. He longed to be able to just walk into his sisters' room and slip into one of their beds, asking for the other sister to join them so they all could sleep cuddled up, like they used to do when they were younger. Sighing, he switched the tele on at a low volume and sat down to watch it. He was aware that nothing good was on but the noise created a distraction for his brain so he left it on.

Max woke up at her usual time after having a good night's sleep due to the loving she had received from Alec which always guaranteed a nice long deep sleep. By the standards of the rest of her family except Lima, it was still very early but she couldn't sleep more than this. Her genetic code just didn't allow for that to happen. And, whose fault was that? She made a face at the thought. She really didn't want to think about her origins first thing in the morning without any coffee in her system. She detached her legs and arms from Alec's body and kissed him as he stirred to allow her to get up. Despite being asleep, Alec kissed her back and nuzzled her cheek before burying his face in her vacant pillow and sighing contently. Within seconds, he was snoring again.

Max shook her head in amazement. It had always been something she didn't quite understand about Alec. He always moaned and whined about his sleep, hating it if someone woke him up but every morning he especially brought himself to enough wakefulness so that he could kiss her back and fill his nose with her scent before she left the bed. At first when they mated, she had always felt bad that her lack of sleep disturbed him too. Soon, her opinion was changed though because Cece had told her that alpha males didn't wake up unless they had the intention to get up or needed to get up because of danger or something similar. As she was his mate, he wouldn't wake up if he didn't need to because his animal instincts took over when they slept and he recognized her. Mating meant being a part of your mate so her movements could never wake him unless she needed him to wake up. This information had made her realize that Alec did whatever he did with conscious. Part of her had been mad at him for making her feel guilty about her sleeping patterns and she had been planning on kicking his ass for it but Cece had rightly pointed out that she should be happy that he loved her so much that he gave her a good start to her day even if he had to especially wake up to do it.

After getting ready, she silently made her way into the living room area. Immediately, she was alerted to the silent presence in front of the television even before she rounded into the room. 'Cade? Baby, what are you doing up?' Her instincts had been telling her that he wouldn't be able to sleep. She should've listened to her instincts. They were never wrong.

Jumping out of his skin, Cade clutched his heart which was hammering against his ribcage at a higher speed than normal. He hadn't even heard his Mom coming in the room. She had scared the hell out of him. 'Mom, you scared me.' He whined.

Max rolled her eyes and ruffled Cade's hair as she passed him to go to the kitchen. Grabbing her coffee mug, she filled it up with the coffee from the machine and then walked back to her son. She sat down on the couch beside him and turned the tele off with the remote. 'Cade, you wanna tell me what's up?' She sipped her drink and waited. She hadn't expected a confession from him. So, when she got it, no one could've been more surprised than her.

'I can't live without her, Mom.' Cade admitted in a small voice. He really didn't have the intention to talk about his feelings for a girl with his Mom. He blurted out the truth without thinking. His traitorous mouth seemed to have a mind of it's own. However now that he had told her the reason, he wanted to get her opinion on the issue. After all, she was the only female he could talk to about Zeva with the knowledge that his talk would remain confidential. Talking to males wasn't going to help him anyway. He needed another point-of-view instead of the male perspective. He needed to know what females thought about situations like these.

Max placed her cup on the coffee table and then hooked her arm around Cade's shoulder to pull him against her side. 'She can't live without you too.'

Cade tried to pull away from his Mom's embrace. 'Yeah right!' He scoffed. 'She hates me.' He added after a moment of silence.

'No, she loves you.' Getting a snort from him in response, she started massaging his head to comfort him. She could feel the sadness and tension coming off his body as she held him close. 'Cade. Sometimes when you love someone so much and they hurt you, the only way you think the pain will go away is if you don't have to feel anything. Zeva only rejected you because she thought it won't hurt as much if you're not always close to her.'

'Well, it seems to have worked for her.' Cade couldn't help the bitterness from seeping into his tone.

Max felt sympathy for her two clueless kids. 'You're wrong if you think she's okay with this. She's hurt just as much as you are. She just tries to hide it. I guess she doesn't want to admit she made a mistake. She's stubborn.' Seeing the skeptical look marring his face, she bit her lip in thought and decided it would be best to tell him how hurt Zeva really was. 'You were crashing at Ryan's, so we didn't tell you this.' Cade pulled away slightly to look at her in confusion. 'The first few days after she disowned you, she cried every night and she wouldn't even let anyone close to her for comfort. Mila and Lima got really scared. Lima was going to get you one night when Zeva was suffering from a mild fever. Yeah, apparently she can get ill too. Anyway, Zeva heard Lima and she made her promise her that she wasn't going to get you.'

Cade felt hope grow in his heart for the first time since all this mess started. 'Really?' At his Mom's nod, his eyes brightened. 'What can I do to make it right, Mom? I want things to be like they used to be. Please, Mom.' He begged. His eyes pleading with his Mom's for answers.

Max shook her head. This was probably the only time she would be able to talk some sense into her son's head. She had to take this opportunity to tell him what she really thought about everything. 'I don't want things to be like they used to be though.' That response earned her a horrified look from her son. She understood what he was thinking so she rushed to assure him. 'Cade, I don't mean that idiot. I mean, things were never really good between you two. You've both been trying to hide what you really feel for each other for a long time now. It's about time you both tell each other how you really feel. I want to see you guys really happy and together. Notlike this or before this fight, sad and alone. But, first you need to get her to talk to you.'

'Mom, she won't listen to me.' Cade couldn't believe this. His Mom must've been joking if she thought he could get Zeva to talk to him. Zeva didn't even want to look at him never mind talk to him.

'You have to try. She's hurt. You'll have to be patient. It shouldn't be too hard if you really do love her.' She smirked when Cade glared at her. Gosh, she'd forgotten how much fun it could be to watch a male who could be a poster-boy for playboys fall in love. All that heathcliff-like angst was adorable, had been adorable on Alec too. She smiled at the thought.

So many times, Cade tried to talk to Zeva but to no avail. She didn't allow him anywhere near her when she was alone. In fact, it was like she made sure she was never left alone anywhere. So, one day, he decided to get Ryan to trick her into coming to the school library so he could talk to her. Since that was the only place she thought he never went, she would definitely come there.

'Ryan, where the fuck are you dude? School's starting. I'm sitting in class. Are you not coming or something?' Cade asked in an annoyed voice. He needed Ryan in school today. They had made the plan of how to snare Zeva into the library. Ryan couldn't back out now.

'Cade, this morning Dad said that I'll be shadowing him at work from now on rather than going school.' Ryan said on the other side of the line.

'What??!! No. You can't do that. Ryan, you know I need your help with that thing.' Cade looked around at the other kids in the classroom and when his eyes fell on Zeva sitting alone in the back, his breath hitched. She could probably hear him. Hell, everyone could probably hear them crystal-clear.

'I know Cade. Seriously, you think I'd intentionally avoid helping you. This isn't about you. At the moment, things are tense. I don't dare say anything too bad to Dad cause he still hasn't flipped a shit. And, we both know he will. It's just a matter of time before shit really hits the fan and I ain't going to push my luck in the mean time. So, bro, I'm sorry I gotta do what Dad says.' Ryan said apologetically.

'Yeah, I know. It's okay. Anyway, I don't think it would've worked. I think I'm gonna quit school too. I should be working too, I'm old enough.' Cade saw the maths teacher coming into class and made a face. 'The hippo's here. We'll talk later. Can you meet me at our place at beach after school?'

'Yeah. I'll be waiting. I'm so sorry…' Ryan started his apology again.

'Dude, it's okay. We'll talk later.' Cade flipped his phone shut.

Ryan spent most of the day following his Dad around as he went about doing his job. His Dad's job was to pretty much keep tabs on the activities being pursued in all the departments at command. Ryan found the job extremely boring. He was more into the action type of a guy rather than the whole talking and mingling. During the day, he found himself thinking about Sara constantly. She was also working at command and this information made his heart flutter every time he had to go around the huge building because he thought he might get a glimpse of her at work. He hated his heart for having this odd butterfly feeling that he'd never had before. Everything was changing so fast, his heart, his feelings, and his life. Ryan decided he hated change. Even if it felt good.

'Man, I'm screwed.' Ryan declared. He was lying down on his back on his and Cade's private stretch of beach, looking up at the sky.

'Yeah, sure.' Cade kicked Ryan from wherehe was sitting on the beach facing the ocean, his friend lazily stretched out horizontally at his feet.

'What the fuck do you mean by that tone? You think I'm okay with all this…this change?' Ryan asked, incensed.

'Well, you've been sharing your bed with the love of your life…' Cade was cut off mid-sentence.

'Fuck you. I don't love her. Jerk.' Ryan claimed rather loudly as if he wanted to shout it out for everyone to hear. He then chewed on his bottom lip, angrily when Cade grinned stupidly.

'Bitch.' Cade automatically responded in a bored tone. 'So, I was saying you've been sharing a bed with a hot chick for nearly a month now. You have a good night's sleep every night. You have a son on the way. You get to leave school and work instead. Wow, dude, you really are having such a bad time. Let's compare it with my life. Oh, yeah. I go to bed but can't ever sleep because I don't have a female to look at. Although I told you I was gonna quit, I'm still gonna go school because the female who thinks I don't exist will be alone if I leave. Dude, I really feel sorry for you. My life is awesome compared to yours.' Cade said, his voice dripping with sarcasm and a mock smile plastered on his face.

'Fine. You win. Your life sucks worse but mine isn't all roses and sunshine either. By the way, we just share the bed as I've told you countless times now. We don't have sex or anything.' Ryan couldn't help the pout.

'Aw, you poor baby. That must be so hard.' Cade rolled his eyes and humphed.

'I've kinda made peace with the fact that my life sucks and we both know whose fault that is. Her name starts with a S just like a snake.' He made a cobra snake movement motion with his hands. 'I get massive lectures about responsibilities and setting good example for my kid all the time now. Seriously, this sucks. They drag him into everything and he isn't even born yet.' Ryan complained.

'Ryan, can I ask you something? You will tell me the truth, right?' Ryan gave Cade a guarded look. Cade was about to tell his bro that it was okay…that he didn't need to know anything. Ryan loved talking about feelings but not his own rather others' feelings, Cade's in particular. Cade was fully aware of this so he didn't want to make his emotionally retarded friend feel uncomfortable. It wasn't like Ryan didn't feel, he just didn't talk about his own feelings and usually Cade was okay with that. Though he knew his best friend well enough to know what he was feeling nearly all the time, sometimes a talk was needed by both to feel better, get things off chest. Like now. Cade knew Ryan needed to talk to someone about his feelings even if he didn't want to.

'Okay.' Ryan answered without looking at Cade. He had a feeling where this talk was going. And, he so didn't want to talk about that. He knew he could trust Cade. But, he wasn't ready to accept anything. Saying it out loud was accepting it. That freaked him out. It was better to just pretend everything was okay. Otherwise, he was gonna suffer from a possible nervous breakdown.

'Do you really hate Sara the way you always say you do? I mean, you say it all the time to her face that she isn't even the type of a girl you like…that she was a mistake. How can you hurt her like that? Why do you treat her like shit? I know you're not mean-spirited like that then why do you do it?' Cade asked Ryan the questions that had been playing on his mind for weeks.

'Cade, it's better like this.' Ryan answered in a tired voice, all his usual cocky swagger leaving him as he made a pained face.

'Better?' Cade felt incredulous. This was worse than he thought. At least, he and Zeva were straight with each other about certain things when they were on talking terms. Ryan and Sara were a different story. The few times he'd seen them interacting, he'd seen how polite Sara was to Ryan despite him taking digs at her expense and blaming her for everything all the time.

Ryan didn't know how to answer to that. Why did he treat her like shit all the time? It was a good question. A question he didn't have an answer to. He silently pleaded with Cade to let the subject go.

'Ryan, I asked you something.' Cade nudged Ryan in the shoulder, making his friend meet his eyes.

'I don't know why I treat her like shit. I really don't. It just happens. I can't help myself. Every time I'm around her I get like that. I think she just knows how to rub me the wrong way. She gets on my nerves with all her politeness and honesty. And, she's always crying and then she fucking apologizes for her pregnancy hormones. It pisses me off. Why can't she just hate me?' Ryan grumbled and looked away from Cade's piercing gaze.

'Correct me if I'm wrong but you want her to hate you so you do your damndest to make sure you hurt her but she still doesn't hate you.' Cade was indignant and jealous. Here, he was dying to gain favour of Zeva but wasn't successful and his friend had a female who loved him despite his shitty treatment of her. The lucky bastard. 'Why would you want her to hate you?' Cade asked curiously, his thinking wheels turning in his head.

'Can we talk about something else now?' Ryan said in a moody manner and pouted.

'Unless…oh shit… I know why.' Cade saw Ryan's eyes give him a wide-eyed dreaded look. 'You're scared about your real feelings for Sara. You don't want her to know that you're in love with her.' Seeing the look of guilt in Ryan's eyes, another more profound realization hit him. 'Oh fuck, you think you're not good enough for her. Ryan, you're wrong dude.'

'She deserves better, Cade.' Ryan insisted.

'No. If she doesn't deserve you than Zeva doesn't deserve me.' Cade knew about his friend's tendency to care more about others than himself even if no one else knew it. He hated Ryan's constant feeling of inadequacy and inferiority. In part, it was his fault too that Ryan spent the best part of his life thinking he was a screw-up. Whenever he did something wrong, Ryan was always there to take the blame and make sure no one said anything to him, making the adults think he was the screw-up, the trouble-causer. If only he'd known that this habit of his bro's was one day going to make Ryan doubt anyone who said they loved him. 'Ryan, Sara loves you for you.'

Ryan sighed. 'Listen, don't tell anyone. I can't…not yet…I'm not sure. I need to know her feelings for sure. She might decide she doesn't like me once the baby's born. Maybe, she just likes me because of the baby.'

Cade lay down beside his brother in an act of comfort. He touched his arm to Ryan's. 'She loves you for everything about you. I promise. Who wouldn't want to love you? You're awesome, dude.' Cade gave Ryan a devilish smirk and then pounced on him, hugging him in a very unmanly fashion.

'Cade! You jerk.' Ryan laughed hysterically as he shoved Cade off him.

'Come on. Let me show you how awesome you are.' Cade grinned as he joked with his brother.

'No way.' Ryan was up in a flash and blurring away from Cade.

'Wait up, bitch.' Cade sing-songed.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N; I posted chapter 24 yesterday so you might have not read that yet…so, pls read that before reading this because it won't make sense if u don't…make sure you read that first and take it in/review lol before moving on to this…another thing is, this chapter may be bordering on a M rating, don't know but all I can say is I don't write smut so I guess it won't be too bad…and as always I would love to hear from you guys and thanks for the reviews/discussion of this fic…xxx**

Chapter 25 –

Ryan was lying on his back in his bed. The bed felt cosier than usual, hot and familiar. A feeling, an impression of belonging was growing in his chest as his eyes traced over his large dresser, the wardrobe and the cushioned chairs. He looked to the left. There was a t-shirt he almost recognized slung over one of the cushioned chairs beside the door. Turning his head the opposite way, he saw dark curtains parted enough around his large window to show a velvet navy dark sky and the sparkle of millions of tiny stars. No cities nearby meant the night-sky always twinkled. The beautiful sight made him smile. But then his thoughts turned blank when a pleasurable sensation coursed through his body.

Warmth and wetness, sliding over the erection he hadn't noticed before. In fact, in a distant part of his mind Ryan realized for the first time that he was butt-naked. Cool cotton sheets whispered along his bare skin as he squirmed against hard sharp jolts of bliss rocketing through his body. His head fell back, eyes tightly shut and he focused his attention on the mouth which was on him, on the soft small hands that were locked gently around his hips. In his own territory, with pleasure bombarding him and someone cradling him, holding him steady, he felt safe and happy.

Ryan was overwhelmed with the need to touch the person who was giving him so much pleasure. He reached down blindly, sighing happily when his fingers touched long soft hair. Tangling his hands through the strands, he held on just as gently as he was being held. He subconsciously tugged at the hair because all of a sudden he needed to see who was giving him one of the most intense blow-jobs he'd ever experienced. He struggled to lift his head and look down. When his eyes met the eyes watching him closely, Ryan's eyes widened in alarm.

'Sara!' He was surprised but the name rolled off his tongue in a sigh. She released him to smile and rub her cheek against his cock.

'Ryan. I know you want this as much as I want it. You can't deny it. I love you.' She nuzzled his thigh, her voice sounded so broken that Ryan felt the pleasure growing much more insistent and unsatisfied. He wanted her mouth back on him so he could lose himself once again in the feelings Sara was so willingly giving him.

'Please.' Ryan whispered, thrusting his hips forward. 'Please.'

However, he was left cold and unfulfilled. His head fell back on his pillow, this time in disappointment. He could still feel her soft hands holding his hips, but no matter how many times he pushed forward or how much he begged, Sara's warm loving touch didn't return again and Ryan began to ache, a blunt painful throbbing in his groin that no amount of moving would relieve.

Seconds later, Ryan woke up thrusting into the mattress of his bed. 'Fuck.' He grumbled in annoyance and flipped over on his back. It had only been a dream or a nightmare which ever way he wanted to look at it. It was the first time he'd experienced an erotic dream about her. He'd dreamt about her before but the dreams had been normal dreams. Not x-rated material. He had a bad feeling this sure as hell wouldn't be the only time he had an erotic dream about her, judging by how much time he had to spend with the shy beauty. In fact, he should be surprised he hadn't already had wet dreams about her.

Sara was lightly snoring on the other side of the bed, still sleeping though Ryan was sure he couldn't have been silent. He was glad that she was oblivious to what he imagined would've been an embarrassing display of moaning and humping. Somehow the embarrassment he would have felt if she had seen him didn't even compare to the feeling of gut-wrenching and breath-stealing need he felt for her now. He wanted to feel that intense connection he'd felt with her in the dream. The way she had looked at him in the dream had left him speechless. It wasn't how she looked at him in reality but he was sure it wasn't far off. She always had the same shy loving look tinged with a bit of hurt that she gave him. Ryan thought about Sara's long stares and how those stares would work out if she was giving him those kind of looks in a sexual situation and his dick was throbbing again.

'Damn.' He leaned over the pillow barrier and touched Sara's naked arm with the intention to get some scent from her so that he could feel her whilst he put himself out of his misery. Then, he got up to go to the bathroom to perform the actual task.

Over the next few nights, Ryan dreamt the same thing over and over again the whole night long. In his dreams, he'd had her in every possible position and in every possible place imaginable. Five nights passed like this and his need grew. He tried to avoid her during the day because every time he saw her, all the dreams would come back to him. It was pure torture. And, he couldn't do anything about it. On the sixth night, something happened to change all this though.

Sara sat up in the bed, startled. She'd felt a jolt of sudden emotional feelings course through her body. Turning to look at Ryan's side of bed, she found him leaning over the pillow barrier with his hand touching her arm as he slept. From under hooded eyes, she watched him sleep for a while. He was dreaming about someone. Sadness overcame her when she thought about all those girls who were his type. He was probably dreaming about one of them. Her face crumbled at the thought. Instead, she looked down at her stomach and tried to think what had woken her up in the middle of the night. She didn't need to pee. She had felt something. What was that feeling? Why had she experienced it?

The next couple of hours, she tossed and turned in the bed, restlessly because she wanted comfort but couldn't find it. She wished she waswith her own parents, her own pack so she could ask for it. But, it was impossible at this moment. She couldn't just up and leaveevery time she needed comfort. As she heard Ryan's moans through the long minutes, the need for comfort turned into the craving for touch, skin contact and sex. It was unfair to want something she couldn't have. She sighed in frustration and resumed her twisting on the bed to get rid of the ache.

'Sara, what the fuck's wrong with you? Just sleep. I can't sleep with you huffing, puffing, and twisting like that.' Ryan wasn't really sure what was going on. He'd been brought out of his sleep with her restless movements. He really didn't appreaciate leaving his dreamland where he could love her as much as he wanted and not have to explain any of his feelings.

'I…okay, I'm going to sleep.' Sara didn't know how to tell him the reason why she couldn't sleep. She didn't move for a few seconds but found she couldn't help moving. She felt so restless. She was fluffing her pillow when she felt Ryan touch her naked stomach under her vest. She flinched away from the touch as though she'd been scalded.

Ryan withdrew his hand in confusion, feeling slightly hurt by her rejection. It wasn't the first time he'd touched her. She'd never had this reaction before. Although he had the inkling that whatever she was feeling was the reason she had refused his touch, his pride and ego still took the blow pretty hard. He had never told her, how much he really touched her whilst she was sleeping because she'd probably freak out or worse still, think that he had feelings for her. But, it wasn't like she didn't know that he touched her on her stomach sometimes. 'I'll go and get Mom. She'll know what's wrong?' He grudgingly got out of the bed and straightened his t-shirt, hoping his parents weren't going to notice his erection.

'No. Ryan, nothing is wrong. I'm fine. I just crave something I can't have. Mom and Cece said it's natural to crave things when you're pregnant.' Sara told him with the hope that he wouldn't call anyone. She didn't want to deal with anyone right now. What she wanted, she knew she couldn't have. There was no point to pretend otherwise. And, she knew if Cece came then she'd have to pretend and lie. Sitting up in the bed with her legs crossed and her hand resting on her stomach, she chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to stop her tears from falling.

Ryan nodded dumbly but remained standing. He couldn't move. All he could do was look at the breathtaking view in front of him. She looked gorgeous. Forcing his legs into action, he went to stand beside the bed on her side of the barrier rather than his own side. He wanted to be close to her. Much closer than he already was. Damn those dreams. 'What do you crave?' Ryan felt himself grow hot as he asked her the question. Fuck, that sounded so dirty.

'Comfort.' She answered with half of the truth. The other half of the truth remained locked in her head. She had decided when she had first started living with Ryan that she would never lie to him. She had once read somewhere that a lasting relationship was built on trust. She wanted Ryan to trust her. So, she always told him the truth or most of it, even if it resulted in him hurting her feelings.

Ryan gave Sara an awkward shrug. 'Erm…I guess, I should sit with you then. Erm...we'll have to…you know…erm…sit like how Mom showed us the other day when she was explaining breathing exercises that you should start doing.' He felt heat rise up his neck. Damnit. He wasn't going to blush. This was no big deal. They were just going to sit together. Yeah, in a very intimate position in the bed, the little voice in the back of his head kept repeating. 'So, I'll just…' He scratched the back of his head and huffed out a breath but remained standing.

Sara bit her lip to kill off any moans that were threatening to escape her at the thought of sitting with Ryan. It wouldn't be the first time because they'd sat like that when his Mom had taught them the exercises. However, this was different. They were alone and he was proposing sitting in a bed like that. She felt heat building inside her and colouring her entire body. Gosh, why didn't he just get on with it already? She didn't know if she could take his stalling any longer. The thought had barely finished in her head when she felt Ryan's body all around her. He'd slotted himself in the gap between her and the head-board. She gasped when his hands gripped her hips and he guided her back into his arms.

Ryan felt a rush of pleasure course through his body as her back touched his chest. Without thinking, on impulse, he pulled his t-shirt off after pulling away from her body slightly. A second later, she was back in his arms. Her head bowed down as she moaned and purred, long and low. Hearing her moaning and purring did something to him, his senses sharpened and he became aware of all her feelings. Instinctively, he leaned forward and nuzzled her neck.

Sara didn't have a clue what was happening to her but something was. As soon as she'd felt Ryan's body enveloping her's, some primitive instinct had awaken inside her. Since she had become pregnant, she'd been craving sex and being around the cause of the craving had been driving her crazy. But, it was nothing compared to what she was feeling right now. The only word that kept popping up in her head was Mine. So when he nuzzled her neck, her response was subconscious. She moved her hair out of the way and exposed her neck to him in submission.

Ryan's lustful gaze fell on Sara's exposed neck and he couldn't help himself. He launched an attack, kissing and licking her neck in pure need. 'Sara…' He barely managed to get out.

Sara turned in Ryan's arms, forgetting all her inhibition. 'Ryan, I need…' He cut her off with a kiss on her lips.

'I know what you need.' That was last thing he said before giving up to the need to make love to her which was consuming him.

The morning after the night before wasn't exactly the stuff of dreams. Ryan and Sara weren't even looking at each other as if they were incapable of doing so. All the family was at the dining table having breakfast and the air around the table was tense. Everyone ate in silence as though they knew what had happened the night before, had picked up on the vibes coming off the teen couple who were trying their best to pretend everything was like normal.

'So, Sara, how are you feeling today, the baby okay?' Cece asked in concern. Somehow, she managed to sound like a mother-hen though she was usually scary and loud. Way to go, Cece.

Sara couldn't pretend that everything was okay any longer. 'I can't share rooms with Ryan anymore. I want to go back home.' She began crying.

Biggs gave Cece a horrified look. Shit. He should've known this idea of Ryan mating with her if they shared a bed was too good to be true. He turned his eyes at his son and glared at him. 'Ryan, what did you do?'

'I didn't do anything. Anyway, it takes two to tango.' Ryan grumbled. Everything always had to be his damn fault. Everyone else was fucking perfect. Maybe, he did say some things he shouldn't've to her but he'd gotten scared when he realized what they'd done, why they'd done it, and how much he loved her. He had felt so emotional and the night had been so intense, he'd nearly blurted out that he loved her, damnit. It wasn't his fault if he freaked out a little.

This was unbelievable. 'I hate you. You're never getting any visitation rights to see my son. He's mine.' Sara wailed and stood up, clutching her stomach as though the baby might come out if she didn't hold him in.

Cece got up too. She rounded the table and pulled the distraught little girl in her arms. 'What happened?' She felt lost in this drama.

'It never means anything to him. He thinks he can use me without mating with me. He did…we did…it shouldn't have happened. I thought he wanted to be my mate. But, I'm just like all the other girls to him. No, I'm not like those girls either. He thinks even they are better than me. And, they're his type and I'm not.' Sara's crying turned into sobs. 'Please. I just want to go home.' She rushed out of the dining room.

'Kyla, Lyla, go up and comfort her. It's not good for the baby if she feels hurt and rejected. I'll be up in a minute.' Cece kept her hard gaze trained on her son as she instructed her daughters to leave the room. Then, she repositioned herself in her mate's lap. She knew shit was going to probably hit the fan in a few minutes so she needed to be here to mediate the situation.

Sure that the girls were out of ear-shot, Biggs decided it was time to let his son know how he really felt about all the shit his son was getting into lately. 'You know, I didn't say anything before. When I found out you got a girl pregnant, I didn't know whether to be happy or mad so I let it go. But, maybe I should've taught you a lesson then.'

'Dad, I…' Ryan interrupted but shut up, seeing the raised finger from his Dad.

'I'd like you to shut the fuck up until I'm finished.' Biggs growled in an angry tone. Ryan nodded and bowed his head. The kid actually looked pretty ashamed. However, this wasn't the time to feel sorry for the asshole. He owed it to his son to be a good Dad and point out his son's failings so he didn't repeat his mistakes. 'Sara's a good kid. In fact, she's the only girl who could bring my grandson into this world without being your mate and I wouldn't have a problem about it. I wanted you to mate with her, still do. But, you've said you won't mate with her come hell or high water, if I remember correct. Then, I expected you to respect her for who she is, the mother of your son, and not take advantage of her again. The opposite of which you did, you took advantage of her and constantly disrespect her as if she's a no one. Ryan, she loves you and every time you get physical with her and then tell her it doesn't mean anything hurts her. Don't you get that, you idiot? You know what's the worst thing? I know you love her. You just don't want to accept or admit it. I just hope you accept it before it's too late.'

Ryan's head came up in dread as he looked at his parents' serious faces. He swallowed the sudden bile that had risen in his throat as uncertainty and fear washed over him. 'What's that supposed to mean?' He asked.

'You figure it out.' Biggs simply shrugged. 'And, another thing, if you hurt her like this again, I swear I'm going to break your bones myself.' He added with an evil smile.

After the dressing down he got from his Dad, Ryan made his way into his bedroom to find Sara packing her clothes into her bags. 'Sara, what are you doing?' She didn't answer or acknowledge him as she carried on with her task. He sat beside her bag on the bed and reached for Sara when she was close enough. Ignoring her protests, he pulled her into his lap and buried his face in the crook of her neck. 'I'm scared.'

As soon as the words registered in her head, Sara stopped trying to get out of his embrace. She had expected an apology or an order to stay with him but not this. Not a real confession of his feelings. 'Scared?' She asked, hesitantly.

'I don't talk about…I can't talk about…Sara, please don't leave. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean what I said. I need to be near my son. I can't live without feeling him. Please, don't go. I swear I won't ever touch you unless you want me to.' Ryan pleaded.

Sara couldn't refuse him. How could she when she loved him? He looked so broken and sad. It was the first time he was being honest with her even if it was just to tell her his feelings for their son. She had never doubted his love for their unborn child anyway but now she had his confession. She wished he loved her in the same way but she knew it was wishful thinking so she shouldn't dwell on it. 'Okay. I'll stay so he can be close to you.' Seeing the joy in his face, she knew she had made the right decision.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 –

'Nah. Dude, seriously I'm fine with you taking Sara to doctor's. We can hang out tomorrow after school. She needs you more than me right now. And, anyway you need to know what's going on with my nephew. You'll probably get to see him.' Cade assured Ryan over the phone.

They had planned to hang out at the beach after Cade finished school because they had hardly seen each other for a few days. However, Ryan called saying Sara was going to see the doctor and Biggs was forcing Ryan to take her.

'Are you sure? I mean, I can tell Dad to go stuff himself, if you need me. We haven't really talked in a few days.' Ryan asked in a serious tone.

'Ryan, I'm okay. It's cool. Dude, chill. I said we'll hang out tomorrow and you can show me the kiddo's picture if you get one. I'll try to talk to Zeva today since I'll be home.' Cade was touched that his best friend loved him enough to be willing to pass up the opportunity to see his kid if they could see the baby this early on in the pregnancy.

'Okay, I'll call you later.' Ryan huffed out, sighing.

'Yeah.' Cade flipped his cell phone shut and opened the huge door to his home building. Deciding that it'd be better to just take the stairs rather than the lift, he started making his way up. Two flights of stairs later, he ran smack into Lima who was wearing a swim-suit and carrying towels. 'Woah, Lima, you going for a swim alone?' He steadied her and hooked his arm around her shoulder to keep her in place as he nuzzled her neck. He knew both his sisters were great swimmers despite their young age but they still weren't allowed to swim alone, without supervision of an adult.

'No. Zeva and Mila are already in the pool. I went to get towels. You wanna come?' Lima wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed him in a hug, looking up at him with huge eyes and a wide grin adorning her face.

It took Cade a second to realize that he'd just been handed the perfect opportunity to talk to Zeva or at least get her alone. 'Yeah, sure. I'll just go and change.' He let go of his sister and started up the third flight of stairs. Turning around just as a thought occurred to him, he grabbed Lima before she was gone. 'Don't tell Zeva.' He was grateful to get a simple nod in response rather than awkward questions which, had it been Mila, would have surely been directed his way.

Zeva was pretty much babysitting for her sisters today because they couldn't hang out with Lyla and Kyla. Cece was taking them away somewhere to get a dress for Lyla's birthday. The birthday was three months away but Lyla insisted she wanted to design the dress herself so they had to go into Australian territory for the shopping trip. They had asked her Mom if they were allowed to come along but her Mom had refused because she didn't feel good to send them without herself being there too.

As soon as all three of the girls got home after school, Lima and Mila immediately started asking Zeva to let them play in the pool. They wouldn't give up so she relented, telling them to get their swimming suits on.

Lima was gone to get towels when Zeva thought she heard some voices. At Lima's return, she asked her sister who she'd been talking to but Lima just brushed it off. This left her no choice but to dismiss her instinctive feeling and her thoughts. However, a few minutes later she got her answer as Cade walked into the pool area, wearing just his trunks. Oh, damn. This was so not good. Suddenly, she felt hot all over. She plunged herself into the depths of the water to escape his penetrating gaze.

'Cade!' Mila squeeled her delight as she saw her big brother come to stand close to her. They always had more fun when he was playing with them. A moment later, she screamed when he jumped into the pool, splashing her with bucket-loads of water. Seeing him laughing at her and high-fiving Lima, she angrily jumped on him to shove him in the water.

'Mila, stop…baby… I'm…sorry.' Cade barely said through his laughter and his sister trying to drown him out of revenge. 'You're such a drama queen.' He said, annoyed as he finally managed to free himself from her tackle.

'Whatever.' Mila pouted and then resumed playing tag with Lima.

Cade looked over at Zeva. She was just kind of swimming in the same spot in the far opposite corner of the pool. When their eyes first met, Cade saw the tell-tale blush that worked its way on her face. So, she was having a reaction to him. Good. It was about time. Catching his grin that he directed towards her, she quickly looked away. He silently submerged himself in the water, making sure to make as little bubbles or movement as possible. Then, he swam up to her underwater. Breaking surface in front of her, he placed both his hands on the stone of the pool side effectively trapping her in the corner. 'We need to talk.'

Zeva's breath was coming in short gasps as she felt Cade's body heat all around her. He had no right to tease her like this. It just wasn't fair. It was hard enough pretending to ignore him all the time. Now, he had her trapped with little clothing between them and she could feel her body betraying her by reacting. She tried to think of a good comeback but her brain wasn't co-operating. The idiotic piece of mush. Damn. She glared at him and then shoved him. 'Fuck off.'

'Zeva, just hear me out okay.' Cade was frustrated. Why did she have to be so damn difficult? He turned back to see his sisters watching them. Sighing, he motioned for them to leave. Seconds later, he heard splashes and then footsteps. Thankfully, the girls had left without putting up a fight. Usually, it was hard to get them out of water. It occurred to him that it was possible that they wanted them to sort their differences out because this whole crap was kind of affecting them too.

Hope bubbled inside Zeva as she thought of what Cade might want to say to her. 'Fine.' Maybe, he was going to tell her that he shared her feelings, that their relationship wasn't hopeless, that he loved her just as much as she loved him and couldn't live without her. That wasn't to be as she soon found out.

'I'm sorry, Zeva. I…' Cade couldn't bring himself to say the words he'd been playing in his head for-like-ever. The words had sounded easy enough in his head so why was it so hard to express his feelings for her in person.

Zeva exploded. 'Is that it? You're sorry? You wanted to say you're sorry?' She shook her head in incredulity and laughed a pissed-off laugh. God, she was feeling so mad.

'Do you have any idea how hard being around you like this is for me? You're killing me. Since I met you, my life's changed.' Cade admitted, looking and feeling painfully uncomfortable at his admission.

Zeva lashed out at Cade like a hurt, angry, mad lioness. 'You fucking man-whore. Those girls at school were right to call you that. Can't change who you are, hey? Missing your girls too much, huh? If I'm such a fucking chore for you, why don't you fucking go back to all your brainless sluts? I'm sure they'll be happy to have you back. Not that you've changed for me anyway. This was just a damn challenge for you, to get the girl you can't have. But now you realize I'm too much of hard work, huh. I'm killing you, huh. I didn't know I was such a pain. Don't fucking blame me for not being like those other girls because I admit it I will never be like them because I don't want to. Were you hoping I'd be easy?' She glared at him, coldly. Like fuck, she was going to let him humiliate her like this. She was glad her voice didn't break and she'd managed to keep her pride intact as she told him where he could shove his explanations.

'You don't understand.' Cade felt panic overcome him as her words were fully processed by his brain. Shit. He'd made a mistake with his word choice. He couldn't blame her reaction. But, still, she didn't have to bring others into it. This was about them, not others.

'No, I understand just fine. I don't want you to be in pain. So, I hope you go back to living the way you were before I made everything so hard for you. Go back to your one-night stands or random affairs, like I care a damn. I'll fucking be happy. At least, you'll stay out of my way.' She said, bitterly.

That's it. Cade had had enough. How could she think that about him? She had such low opinion of him. The infuriating bitch. How dare she fling insults at him like this? What the fuck was he even thinking, crying over her? 'You know what you're right. I should start living how I used to. I was happy then. That reminds me, I haven't scratched my itch for too long. And, since you think I am whore, I might as well live up to your expectations.'

Zeva felt her stomach drop. She pushed at him, trying not to break down in front of him. 'Now get the fuck away from me.' She tried to sound strong and hateful but she sounded more like a lost soul. He moved away from her, giving her enough room to get out. She hastily jumped out and blurred all the way to her bedroom. Only allowing her tears to fall when she was safely alone in her room.

Cade spent hours in his bedroom, locked away. He only came out for dinner and then went straight back again in the safety of his haven. That night, instead of spending the night thinking about her in his lonely bed, he decided he was going to go out to drink and hopefully also to get laid to help in his mission to get rid of his feelings for a certain blue-eyed blonde.

Zeva was consumed with guilt and sorrow for all the things she had said to Cade in her anger. It wasn't his fault that he didn't love her the way she wanted to be loved by him. He had been honest with her and she had been so nasty to him. He hadn't deserved those accusations and insults for his honesty. She had no right to say those things to him, yet he had taken whatever she dished out without retaliating or insulting her back. What must he think of her now? She hated herself for hurting his pride. She had to apologize to him and tell him she really hadn't meant any of the bad things she said to him. With the intention to go to him to apologize, she got out of her bed silently and made her way out of her own room. As she was about to turn his doorknob, a noise caught her attention. She turned her gaze towards the hall and caught Cade leaving their home. Without giving it a second's thought, she backtracked into her room and put on her shoes and jacket. She silently thanked her lucky stars that she had already been dressed, wearing her usual gear, not having changed for the night yet.

Zeva followed Cade out of their home. Where in hell was he going at this hour in the night? She was herself only awake because she hardly ever slept anymore. Not having Cade's scent or his body spooning hers, had affected her sleeping pattern. She hadn't slept properly for a month. She wondered if Cade was sleeping okay without her or not. She felt she needed to know, it was important to her to know this. She needed the reassurance that he needed her as much as she needed him. But, she was also scared to find out the truth. What if he'd been sleeping just fine without her? Maybe, he didn't need her like she needed him.

She kept a safe distance between them. She didn't want to get caught. That would be embarrassing. He would know she cared about him. It wouldn't help her cause. She was still going to keep up her act of ignoring him and not accepting him as pack. Even though she needed to say sorry to him for the fight in the pool, it didn't mean she was going to go back to how she had been with him before he hurt her. Not unless he gave her a good enough reason. Although it was just supposed to be his punishment for treating her bad, she felt as though she was being punished too. Not exchanging scents with him and not sleeping with him was driving her crazy. Cade hadn't tried to get close to her, since she had disowned him, telling him she didn't want him around her. That was until today. She hadn't been expecting him so she had freaked out. She really hadn't meant those bad insults, just like she hadn't meant it when she rejected him as alpha and pack. The way he had looked at her when she'd told him of her ultimate decision of disownment, she was sure she had hurt him. She had honestly thought he would try to change her mind. But, he hadn't tried to change her mind at all, which had only made her doubt whether he did really care about her. Those doubts were the reason she was now following him in the middle of the night, as well as her curiosity. Was he really going to do what she told him to do? Had she given him the perfect excuse to be with someone? Curiosity killed the cat. She hoped whatever she saw tonight wouldn't be the death of her.

Cade saw the teenage haunt, 'Daze', come into view and exhaled sharply. It was time to get over and get rid of his fixation of Zeva. He had let a girl get the better of him, affect him. Not anymore. He was going to fuck the first girl he saw tonight. He was an alpha male on a mission.

He felt the loud music vibrating through the steps of the entrance. Before entering the building, he prepared himself for the low lighting and loud music. Getting in, he let his eyes adjust as he went to his usual place in the nightclub. He found Dana, a feisty blonde hanging out near to his table. He smiled predatorily as he approached her. Hell, yeah. He'd do her any day. She was one fine honey. 'Hey, Babe. You're looking good.' He slipped into his charming flirty persona. He had fucked her a few times in the past, to great satisfaction. She would definitely get his mind off Zeva. The blonde was dressed for the occasion of being someone's slut for the night, in a small revealing vest and a mini-skirt. She gave him a flirty look before leaning forward and giving him an open mouthed kiss.

Cade pulled away and grinned at her. 'Come on, let's go in the back room.' He just wanted to get it over and done with. He wasn't usually the type of guy who wasted time on foreplay and tonight, he didn't want to anyway. As far as he was concerned, it took just a few minutes to bang a girl. So, he needed to only spend a few minutes in this air-head's company.

Zeva watched from shadows. She saw the blonde girl, Dana, kiss Cade, which resulted in Cade giving the blonde a grin. He led the girl away somewhere, holding her hand. She gave Dana a look over. What did Dana have that she didn't? Dana was one of the most popular and beautiful girls in their school. But, she wasn't perfect. She had a bad attitude. Was that not a defect of personality? No, she wasn't jealous of the blonde who had Cade's attentions. There was no reason to be. It wasn't that girl's fault that Cade liked her. It was her own fault. She had told him to fuck other girls. But, she really hadn't thought he'd do it.

The little hope she'd had for her unrequited love for him, died a painful death at the sight before her eyes. Zeva had thought her heart was already broken. She had been wrong. It was breaking now. He didn't need her. He had other girls. What had possessed her to even think he would care about her? That she was somehow special to him. She felt the trails of tears on her face and turned around. She shouldn't have followed him. She had no right over him anymore anyway. She had seen to that herself. He could do whatever he wanted. It was for the best if he hated her so maybe she shouldn't say sorry either. She left the place without a backward glance.

Cade fell back on the couch in the back room. Dana giggled as she kissed and licked her way down his neck up to his top's neckline. He reached forward for her but she pulled back. She stood up and started to strip. When she had her top off, she straddled him. Leaning towards him, she seductively whispered. 'You want a lap dance, baby?' She didn't wait for his answer. She started to hypnotically sway her hips.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N; Hey everyone, I see no one has reviewed yet for last chapter, but I will let you off for now…I am posting this chapter because as you know I post as I write so since this is finished I might as well post…If you haven't read chapter 26 (please check otherwise you won't understand this chapter) then read (+ review) that first before reading this very long chapter….thanx**

Chapter 27 –

Despite trying, Cade couldn't seem to enjoy himself. What was wrong with him? Here, he had a gorgeous blonde swishing around on his lap and all he could think of was how wrong it felt. He shut his eyes, willing himself to enjoy it. An image flashed before his closed irises. He saw Zeva's beautiful blue eyes and her shy smile. He loved it when she blushed when he kissed her. And, she was always nervous and shy when he touched her unlike the other girls he had touched or kissed in his lifetime. He opened his eyes and was disappointed to see no shame or shyness in Dana. He pushed her away. After a month of trying to get Zeva out of his sexual fantasies, he hadn't been able to. But, her words today had riled him enough that he had managed to muster up the courage to finally try to move on and fuck another girl. He had thought he could do this, get Zeva out of his mind, out of his system. However, he'd been wrong. 'I can't do this. I have to go. I…I…I shouldn't have…' He sighed and groaned as confusion and guilt consumed him. 'I'm sorry.' He didn't feel sorry for Dana but for himself.

As he left, he heard the shocked blonde finally realizing he was leaving her in the middle of their little foreplay, she started to curse him. It wasn't the first time he was listening to a mad female having a go at him. With a final roll of his eyes, he hit the ground in a fast run. He felt dirty. He wanted to get the female's smell off him as soon as he could. So, instead of heading home, he ran straight to the ocean and plunged himself in the water.

The cold water hit him as he came into contact with it and sent his adrenaline pumping. A few minutes later, he emerged from the water and sat on the beach. Looking out at the dark sky meeting the dark ocean, he let out a feral mournful cry. Why couldn't she forgive him? Why did she reject him as pack? You haven't shown her you care, a small voice inside his head answered back.

Zeva didn't notice the figure in the lounge by the window when she got home. 'What were you doing out at this time in the night?' The deep masculine voice brought her back to reality. She was home. She hadn't realised she had made her way back. 'Never mind, where's Cade?' Her Dad asked.

She couldn't help the sob that escaped her throat. 'With Dana.' Shit. Why did she have to let the world know she was crying?

'Are you sure about that?' Not waiting for an answer, he added, 'Then, who's that sitting on the beach?' Alec saw his kid's swollen eyes from her crying and exhaled deeply. When were his stubborn-assed kids going to grow up? Maxie was so lucky. Unlike him, that woman could sleep immediately after hitting the sack. His mate didn't sleep for that long but at least she slept when it was actually time to be sleeping. Personally, he was a night owl and preferred sleeping a little late at night and waking up later in the morning. Due to his lack of sleep before midnight, he always knew what was going on in the home. This made him the sole provider of comfort to his kids if they felt like crap in the early phase of the night. Lately, it seemed two of his kids were constantly in need of comfort at night. 'Zeva, sometimes what we see isn't the whole truth, baby.' She moved over to the window, beside him.

'I can't see that far.' Zeva managed to utter in a whisper as she narrowed her eyes to try to look at the figure her Dad was talking about.

'Baby, you're eyesight is still developing. Believe me. Cade is sitting on the beach.' Alec practically saw the hurt look morph into confusion and finally unease. He had a feeling he knew what she was thinking and didn't want to ask him. 'He's alone. I saw him jump into the ocean about a minute after you got in the building. What happened?' She gave him an embarrassed look but didn't say anything. 'Zeva, I'm not gonna ask again. What happened baby?' He actually felt pretty pissed off. It was too late in the night to be dealing with their teen angst.

Deciding against telling her Dad about her fight with Cade in the pool, she shrugged nervously. 'I couldn't sleep. I saw him leave when I got up to go to kitchen and I followed him. He went to 'Daze', that club. I've never been there before. I saw him with a girl. Dana. She's a girl in our school. She's friends with Kara. Anyway, they were kissing and then Cade held her hand and took her somewhere.' Zeva let out in a single breath. Then she looked down at the floor, chewing her bottom lip.

Alec rolled his eyes in annoyance. He should've guessed that his son was going to pull a stunt like this soon. 'Zeva, baby, go to sleep. He'll come back when he's ready. I think he wants to be left alone right now.' He had heard and felt the feral cry. It could only be Cade. Only a male Alpha could hear another male Alpha's animal cry and even that was when it was from a pack member.

Zeva started to retrace her steps. 'Daddy, I'll go and get him.' She quickly said. She didn't want Cade to be alone. Maybe, he was hurt. And, it was cold outside. He'd get cold. Yes. She had to go get him before he got ill.

Zeva blurred to the beach, which thankfully wasn't far from their home. Approaching Cade, she cleared her throat because she heard the sounds of heartfelt sobbing coming from where he was sat. Was he seriously crying? As she got closer, she smelt anger and sadness in the air mingled with the fresh ocean breeze. The smell coming from him, a strong Alpha, made her feel unsure and scared. Once, ages ago, her other Daddy had told her that strong male Alphas turned aggressive if they were feeling vulnerable and thought they were being exposed or threatened. She didn't know if he would treat her aggressively as she wasn't his pack anymore. 'Cade?' She spoke in a soft calming voice, feeling uncertain about his reaction. Not wanting to spook him, she tried to control her own smell of anger and hurt that was coming off her in waves. She was angry because that Dana girl could make him so emotional and she couldn't. He had never cried for her.

Cade growled angrily. He didn't need this right now. He didn't want another stare match with her, or her making him feel like a screw-up and his inner voice reminding him that he needed to fix things between them because he still hadn't and he simply couldn't live like that. At that moment, he just wanted to be left alone. 'Zeva, I am not in the mood to hear anything right now. Please, leave me alone.' He felt like strangling the infuriating female. How dare she just ignore him all the time, fighting with him and then turn-up just when he was suffering from a complete meltdown? She wasn't allowed to see him like this. He was a strong alpha male, for fuck's sake. Not a weakling.

'Cade, what are you doing out here? It's cold.' Zeva rubbed her arms to get rid of the chill that was settling in her bones. She shuddered, when as if on cue, a gush of wind swirled around her before dying down. 'Did Dana say something to you? Is that why you're crying?' She asked, nervously. If looks could kill, she would have died then and there.

'What the fuck do you know about that?' When she gave him a wide-eyed guilty look, he grunted. Letting out an angry growl, he felt his body tense up to a greater degree. He caught her fearful face and let himself take a deep calming breath. He didn't want her to feel scared of him. Unexpectedly, he felt guilt and shame overcome him all of a sudden. He didn't understand why he felt these emotions. It wasn't like he had cheated on her. He and Zeva weren't even together. In fact, a few minutes ago, they weren't even speaking. Thanks to her deciding she hated him enough to not accept him as pack. Or his existence.

'I wanted to say sorry to you about before. I…I didn't mean the things I said. It was mean and nasty of me to say those things. I was going to your room but you were leaving. So, I followed you to 'Daze'. I saw you with Dana.' Zeva saw his horrified expression and his mouth form an _0._ She rushed to clarify what she meant. He probably thought she had seen him get rejected and was angry because of that. 'I only saw you two kissing and then, you took her somewhere. I swear I didn't follow you there. I didn't see what happened between you that made you cry. You don't have to be embarrassed.' In her rambling, she didn't notice him get up from the ground he was sat on and come to stand facing her, only metres away.

'You wanna know what happened? I couldn't fuck her. I thought I could but I was wrong.' He admitted sadly. She was nodding at him as though she understood what he was going through. That made him furious. How the fuck would she understand how it felt to not be able to bang someone because you only wanted the person you couldn't have. She didn't know the first of it. 'You know, this is your fault. When I shut my eyes to make myself like her touching me, I saw your damn face. Fuck, I haven't slept properly for ages. I can't come to you because you don't want me to come anywhere near you. And, it wouldn't be appropriate now that I'm not your pack. I tried to sleep alone but that didn't work. So, today I decided to take your advice and find another willing body. Looks like I was unsuccessful in that too. So, I guess I'm doomed. What I don't get is what the fuck are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be home, all tucked up in your bed?' He glared at her to show her his annoyance and anger.

'I didn't think you needed me. You acted as if you didn't care. I thought you could sleep without me. I haven't slept in ages as well.' Zeva flushed as she admitted the painful truth in a small voice.

'I thought you didn't want to ever talk to me. Aren't you breaking your own vow?' Cade raised an eyebrow, questioningly. He still wasn't sure of her true intentions for being there and talking to him. She hadn't bothered with him for over a month and now she'd decided it was okay to talk.

'Daddy told me you were here when I got back home and told him where I'd been. He told me you wanted to be alone. But, it was cold out here. And, I didn't want you to be alone. I thought you might be hurt. I came to get you.' She shrugged.

'You have no right.' Cade pointed out. It wasn't something he was happy about. He wanted her to have the right to boss him about, to get him to go home with her. 'Zeva, go home. Dad won't be able to rest until your home safe.'

'I'm safe with you. He knows I'm not here alone.' She corrected him.

Cade barked a laugh. 'Zeva, we both know that's not true. You're not safe with me. Not anymore. You shouldn't be out with strange males at night. Especially, not with a man-whore.'

'Cade, I didn't mean…you're not a strange male. You're my pack.' She saw him shaking his head in disbelief. 'Cade, I was mad at you that day and today. I didn't mean it. I just wanted to hurt you so you knew how I felt. I want you to be my pack. I accept you as an alpha male and my pack. I always have. I just thought….you like other girls…I couldn't…I'm not like them.' Zeva looked away from his intense gaze. 'I'm defective.' She added, biting her lip to stop herself from tearing up.

At her acceptance of his rank and status, Cade felt the tension leave his body. Subconsciously, Cade moved closer to Zeva. He let out a long-suffering sigh. 'Zeva, I know I hurt you by calling you what I did but I've already told you and I'll say it again, I didn't mean it. I'd never intentionally hurt you.' He went quiet for a moment before starting up again. 'How can I possibly think you're a defective freak when I think you're the most perfect female in the whole damn universe? I knew you were special the first time I saw you. Damn, but you scare the hell out of me. I've never felt anything for a female until you. You changed something inside me. That's why I don't know how to act around you. I've never been in love before. I'm so sorry for hurting you. It hurt me as much as it hurt you. I wish I could take it back. Without you as my pack, I'm incomplete. You have no idea, how I felt when you disowned me. It hurts here.' He placed his hand on his heart. 'I want this pain to stop.' He didn't think about what he was saying. He just had to release his frustration. Once he began, he couldn't stop his feelings from pouring out. It came out in one huge breathless emotional confession.

Cade saw her face break out in a shy smile and a blush as she closed the distance between them. What the hell had he said to make her so damn happy? This wasn't a happy matter. He had cried over a damn girl. He replayed his own words back to himself in his mind to understand. However, when he realized what his exact words had been, he dropped his gaze to look at the interesting pattern on the sand at his feet. Shit, she knew all his feelings now. She could use the information for blackmail.

Standing so close to Cade that she could feel him trembling from where she stood, Zeva fidgeted with the zip of her jacket as she reflected on what Cade had said. She cleared her throat, just to get rid of the awkward silence that had befallen them. 'You think I'm perfect? You have feelings for me?' She asked in a small voice, full of awe. He couldn't know how much that meant to her. Quenching the urge to keep her gaze on anything but him, she tried to read his body language. He was chewing on his bottom lip, drawing her attention there. She looked further up to see his gorgeous green eyes were still downcast. He huffed out in resignation and shrugged. She thought it was cute how he was acting so different from his usual assured self. Acting on her instincts, she placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned forward to kiss him on his cheek. When she pulled away, he was looking at her with such emotion in his eyes that it took her breath away. After a moment of giving her the most heated stare he'd ever given her, his whole stance and body language changed. He relaxed and gave her a devilish smile, making her blush harder than she already was.

'I didn't say anything just now. Even if I did, you have no proof. It's your word against mine. No one is gonna believe you.' He grinned at her, with a devil-may-care look adorning his face.

Zeva thought to argue with him but something told her that it would spoil the moment. She had a feeling that he was feeling exposed because of his confession so was trying to hide behind false bravado. As long as she knew about his real feelings for her, she really couldn't care less if no one else did. 'Can we go home now? I'm cold.' She held out her hand as a peace-offering.

Cade gave her a serious look before grabbing hold of her outstretched hand. As they walked silently towards their home, he looked down at their hands in scrutiny. In that moment, he felt the need to correct the way their hands were linked. He didn't want to hold her hand as a pack member or family member, which was how they were holding hands. He had seen ordinaries hold hands in movies. They did it by linking the individual fingers together. It looked intimate. He laced his fingers with hers. This action made Zeva sigh contently and move closer into his side, convincing him that this was the right way to hold hands with her.

When they got home, Cade stopped Zeva from going in her bedroom with an urgent question. 'Do you need to use the bathroom?' He hoped she'd say no. Dying to get rid of the lingering smell of the other female and the salty ocean water, he had started to strip in the hall. He noticed her gaze drink in the sight of his boxer clad body and then she quickly looked away. It wasn't exactly news that she liked his body, that she wanted him. He'd known for some time now. If he hadn't known it before, seeing her lustful gaze and the smell of sex pheromones coming off her now was enough indication of how much she wanted him.

Zeva felt Cade's heated gaze on her. She thought she might just melt. She gulped. 'I just need to use the toilet.' She quickly rushed into the bathroom. She wasn't expecting him to wait so close to the door. She nearly ran smack into him when she got out.

'I'm gonna take a shower.' He mentally kicked himself. What the fuck was wrong with him tonight? She didn't ask him what he was gonna do in there. He didn't need to have said that. Seriously, what else could he have done in there anyway?

Before he fully shut the door, she called him. 'Cade?' He raised his eyebrow in response. 'Erm…I was wondering…you know…once you've finished getting ready for bed…erm…can you sleep in my room?' She asked, red-faced. 'I feel cold…'

'Yeah. It'll be good to get some sleep for a change.' He cut her lousy attempt at making an excuse. The truth was they both couldn't sleep without each other. So, why deny it?

She nodded and went to her bedroom. After changing into a vest top and boxer shorts, she got in bed. She tried to sleep. She told herself that the hot butterflies she was feeling fluttering in her stomach had nothing to do with the anticipation she felt waiting for Cade to come and hold her so she could finally sleep peacefully. It was probably because of the effect of cold on her body.

Cade didn't waste time. Obsessively, he scrubbed at his body to restore it to its former glory consisting solely of his own pack scent. Finishing that task, he quickly brushed his teeth and took a leak before washing his hands and face and then shutting the light. He draped his towel on one of the heating systems and wore a t-shirt and a pair of boxers under some jogging bottoms.

At first he used to wear boxers and t-shirts when he first started sleeping with Zeva but soon he found out, that wasn't going to work for them. By morning, most of his t-shirts were raised up, leaving his erection exposed. Glad that she had never woken up before him, he took it as a sign of his luck. He had decided to add jogging pants to his outfit. Whilst sleeping with her, he had noticed she seemed to like touching his skin. She never touched him on his skin when she was awake. Although, she touched all the family constantly during the day, it was never skin contact. Skin contact was important for their species; his Dad had once told him. Their animal side demanded it.

Cade made his way to Zeva's bedroom. He got into the room and in two strides was by her bed. He slipped in. Her back was to him as usual. But, where she was always in the middle of the bed waiting for him to spoon with her, tonight she wasn't. She was on the edge of the bed. He got in middle in his normal space and reached out to touch her naked arm. He drew soothing circles on her shoulder. She relaxed and moved back into his arms. He spooned himself fully around her body tonight for the first time. He didn't shove a pillow between their lower bodies. In the past, he had never allowed their bottom halves of bodies to touch whilst he was awake due to fear that she would feel his physical reaction to her body and not understand it, it just didn't feel right then. Tonight, it did. Their bodies fit so perfectly together, as though they were made for each other. He pressed his erection in her bottom to show her that she was the only one he wanted. She let out a pant and her breathing became laboured. Suddenly, the room was filled with the smell of pheromones as he moved against her trembling body.

Cade rolled Zeva underneath his body and looked down at her with adoration and desire shining in his beautiful green eyes. She chewed at her bottom lip nervously. The way he was looking at her was making her feel hot and wet in her most private part of body. She had read about this wetness and heat on internet but that hadn't prepared her for what it would feel like to feel an ache between her legs. Still lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice his closeness. She gasped when Cade's lips met hers. He kissed her with sweet slow intensity, his mouth moving hungrily against hers which made her brain whirl with images of Cade's wet body only clad in boxers. He kept up his sweet assault until those thoughts were gone too and the only thing she could do was feel his warm hard body and his hand like smooth velvet as he kneaded her stomach.

Not sure how far he could go with her and not wanting things to get out of hand, Cade dragged his hand off her stomach to bunch his fist in the pillow, beside her head. The urgent throbbing ache in his groin was making itself felt but he didn't want to risk going too fast for her or too fast for himself either.

Releasing her mouth, Cade rested his forehead against hers and concentrated on slowing his pulse. Her soft groan of disappointment sent another rush of desire through him. She felt so right in his arms, sweet and yielding, her mouth so tender and willing under his. He just wanted to lose himself in her body. She was the first female he was so damn horny for and he wasn't going to do anything about it, couldn't do anything about it. Not yet anyway. She wasn't ready. And, her first time shouldn't be like this. It should be special, he owed it to her.

As his heartbeat slowed, his eyes roamed her flushed cheeks and lush lips before returning to the warmth of her eyes. He was amazed how such a cool colour of eyes could still radiate so much warmth. A fierce rush of possessiveness surged through him. He'd never felt possessive about a female before. That was what was so different about being with her. Even when she hadn't been his pack but one of the survivors of a small island nation, he'd wanted to protect her. He realized his sexual feelings for her were stronger than with anyone he'd ever been with. This wasn't the detached, unemotional sexual desire he felt with other females. His instincts recognised her scent, her touch, and her presence. She was his pack, his love and his chosen mate. That was what made everything that was usually familiar seem so disorientating and strange when he was doing it with her.

The scent of her pheromones was so strong that he was sure, had this been any other female of his nation she would have been fucking his brains out by now. Cade smiled at the thought. But, that was exactly what he loved about Zeva. She wasn't like the other females. He stroked her cheek as he searched for any clue as to where to proceed from here. Despite her inexperience, she was so responsive and good that he couldn't keep kissing her without being tempted to take it further.

Their eyes caught and held. Blue meeting green. Zeva's shy smile as she returned his scrutiny had him smiling in return. It was all very well to go slow but how slow? He really wanted to mate with her. He couldn't though. They weren't ready for such a big step yet. But, he couldn't just live on kisses either. He needed more. Hell, if he was reading her body language properly then it looked as though he wasn't the only one. She needed more too.

Zeva searched Cade's thoughtful stare. He had such beautiful green eyes and she loved the way he was looking at her as though she was the most beautiful female he'd ever laid his eyes on. She could feel that funny feeling of heat and excitement unfurling in her stomach again as his glance dropped to her lips.

Cade's eyes flicked back to Zeva's, when he smelt the new rush of pheromones. Her oceanic blue eyes widened in surprise as Cade tugged her up in his arms in a sitting position and started to take her vest off. 'We'll just take our tops off. I need skin contact. I haven't had any from anyone for ages.' He could feel her watching him from under hooded eyes.

Zeva panicked. She grabbed hold of her vest to keep it in place. 'Cade, I can't…I have no bra on.' She was craving skin contact too. Last time she had it was from her other Mommy before everything had been destroyed. But she couldn't let Cade see her naked. That would be embarrassing.

Cade wasn't surprised by her response. It would've been too much to ask for. 'If I close my eyes and promise not to look, will it be okay? I just wanna hold you.' He'd be lying to himself, if he didn't admit how disappointed he was but he wanted her to feel comfortable, needed her to trust him.

Zeva kept quiet, not daring to move as she watched Cade leaning on his elbow, his expression intent, as he stroked his thumb across her temple. He gave her a kiss before pulling his top off and then lying back down beside her on his side with his eyes shut. She took her top off and moved into his open arms so her back was flush against his upper torso. She moaned in pleasure at the feeling of his skin against hers. She smiled when he tightened his arms around her. 'Cade?'

'Hmm…' Cade felt like he was in heaven. Heaven was perfect, according to his angel Uncle Castiel. And, this feeling what he was feeling right now was perfect. So, it could only be described as heaven.

'Who do you usually get skin contact from? I don't mean to pry but I've never seen you getting it from pack. I used to get it from my Mommy in Scherzo.' She subconsciously drew circles on the arm he had around her waist.

Cade thought about lying. However, he was through with lying with her. 'I used to get it from Mom or Dad before the girls were born then I started sleeping with the girls until I turned 12 yrs old. After that the only skin contact I ever got is during sparring or training with Ryan.' He exhaled tiredly and kissed her on her neck. 'And, I got a little touch when I was with other girls. But, I haven't been with anyone since I met you.'

'Really? I saw you with girls on your birthday party.' She said in askance.

Cade nuzzled her neck. 'I wasn't with anyone, I swear. I wanted you, still want you.' He licked the back of her neck. 'You have no idea how hot kissing you makes me feel. I'm feeling really horny.' His voice was rough and uneven as he brushed another kiss lightly across her neck.

'Cade…' She moaned, rubbing her back against his chest.

'You're body's telling me, you want me too.' He started stroking her quivering stomach.

'You want to fuck me, like you fuck other girls?' She didn't know how else to say it. Cade always used the crude terms to describe sex. Not that they'd ever had a conversation about it before.

Despite his best attempt, Cade just couldn't control the grin now tugging at his lips at hearing her dirty talking. 'Yeah I do.' He huskily admitted. 'Your scent is telling me, you want to fuck me too.' He added, moving his hand down onto her thigh

Momentarily her hand stilled his hand's movement before letting it go. 'I think my body might … I'm not really sure if I'm ready though. I don't know anything other than what I've read on internet.' She said in a nervous tone.

'You've been reading about sex?' Cade couldn't help the laughter escaping him.

Zeva was annoyed. He was making fun of her, damnit. It wasn't her fault she didn't know anything. 'I just wanted to know what was so good about it that you and Ryan are always doing it. Uncle Sam and Sara said I could find out anything on the internet.'

Cade was glad she couldn't see his face. Man, if she knew how funny he thought she was sometimes. 'Zeva, you didn't need to learn anything. Your mate will teach you everything you need to know.'

'I thought he wouldn't want me if I didn't know anything. He seems to like girls who know everything.' She said, hoping she didn't sound insecure.

'No, he doesn't. He loves you because you're different from other girls.' He whispered in her ear. 'So, what did you learn?'

'I'm not talking about that with you.' Suddenly, she was overcome with shyness.

'Why? You know, I want to know everything about my angel because I have a right to know as her alpha.' He rubbed her naked thigh.

She bit her lip as she realized he was now talking in a third-person-type-code. Playing along, she said. 'Okay, your angel will tell you only if you promise you won't laugh.'

'I promise.' Once she'd run through a veritable recounting of the Kama Sutra with all the technical terms thrown in for good measure, Cade couldn't help wondering if asking her how much she knew had been a mistake on his part. She may not have had any practical experience but all those sex manuals she had read on the internet had ensured she knew everything. 'Wow, I'd love to do all that with my angel.'

Zeva felt her entire body heat up. 'Your angel would like to do all that with her alpha too.'

'Awesome.' Cade responded with a tug of her earlobe.

'But only when she's ready.' Zeva clarified.

'Right. Erm…I think we should go to sleep now.' He told this to his raging hard-on as much as her.

'Yeah. Good night.' She shut her eyes.

'Night. Sweet dreams.' He buried his head into the crook of her neck, shutting his eyes.

They were both fast asleep within seconds of ending their conversation.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N; hey everyone, thanks for your awesome reviews for last chapter i hope it satisfied your cravings for them boys to show their feelings... i still have a lot in store for the nxt generation alpha males so i hope you keep supporting and reading and reviewing this story... i am sorry for taking this long to update, i had exams and then my laptop went bust....add to that the fact that once you stop writing it's hard to get into it again so guys put simply i have had problems... but, worry not as i will keep writing and updating more regularly as i have done in the past... so now on with the reason you are all here;)**

Chapter 28 –

'Alec, wake up.' Max nudged her mate, trying to wake him up. If it wasn't an important matter, she never would've tried to wake him this early. But, she really needed him.

A hushed voice filtered into the alpha male's consciousness. Ignoring the impatient command and the gentle shove, Alec fully buried his head in the soft pillows underneath. However, the intruder of his sleep wasn't going to give up it seemed. As, in the next instant, he felt another bump to his shoulder. Huffing out in an angry manner, he turned. 'What is it, Maxie? What the fuck is wrong?' He raised his brow when he saw Max's wide eyes.

'Get up. I need to show you something.' Max explained, hurriedly. She actually felt a little bad for disturbing Alec's sleep. She knew he needed more hours than her. Add to that, the fact that he slept late at night, then her actions really weren't justified.

Alec saw the anxious look marring his Max's face and felt his instincts go into hyper-drive. 'Why are you whispering? There's no danger…I don't feel…' Max cut him off by placing her hand over his mouth.

'Will you stop being such an ass for once and listen to me.' She gritted her teeth and poked his chest. Damn, he looked so cute, all bleary-eyed and pouting.

He gave up. Knowing full well that if Max wanted him to get up then she wouldn't rest until she got her way, he grudgingly got out of his side of the bed. As he was pulling on his sweatpants, his eyes fell on the bedside clock which read 6.34 a.m. 'Maxie, what the fuck is this? It's only 6.34 for fuck's sake. I don't need to be up this early. If you want company, Lima will probably be up. Go and talk to her or whatever is it that you guys do to pass time.' Alec was annoyed as hell. How dare she just wake him this early for no apparent reason? Well, he couldn't come up with any plausible reason she'd need him. Max wasn't the type of female who needed anyone. She could do everything and anything. That's what she thought anyway. So, he was at loss as to why she would wake him, claiming she needed him for something.

'Stop being an ass or else I'll kick it for you. Once you've seen what I have to show you, then you can go back to sleep.' She shrugged as if it wasn't such a big deal. Though, she knew sleep was a big deal to Alec.

Alec threw his hands up in the air in resignation and to show his exasperation. 'I won't be able to go back to sleep. Since someone had to fucking ruin it for me. This better be good, Maxie or I swear…' The next words died on his lips.

Whilst he'd been raging over his lack of sleep, Max had managed to drag him to wherever she wanted to take him. Alec couldn't say he was entirely shocked by what he was looking at but still he hadn't expected the sight that greeted him either. So, his only reaction was to level a questioning look at Max as he gaped, feeling dumbfounded.

Oblivious to his and Max's presence, Cade and Zeva were sleeping soundlessly in each other's arms. That fact alone wasn't the cause of Alec's surprise though. What got him confused and amazed was that both teenagers seemed to be sleeping in the nude as far as he could tell, unless they had something on under the sheet, covering their asses. They were covered by the bed sheet up to their waists so it was hard to tell whether this was the case. Despite all this, other than a slight scent of pheromones in the air surrounding the sleeping couple which was only natural with their attraction for each other, he didn't catch any other scent that would suggest them having done anything of the sexual nature.

Max was amused by Alec's inability to talk. He looked to be surprised. 'Do you think they've…' She got a vigorous shake of head as an answer, even before she had the chance to finish her inquiry. This was the reason why she had woken Alec up in the first place. She knew as a male alpha he'd know what had happened between her kids. She wasn't going to talk about this to the teenagers or mention it. Therefore, the only way to find out had been to wake Alec.

'I can't smell anything like that.' Alec admitted in a hushed tone. He felt like an intruder all of a sudden. It was as though, he was invading Cade's personal territory whilst he slept with his mate. Even when this wasn't the case. Alec's animal side still felt it. 'Maxie, come on, let's go. Let them sleep for a while. We can talk to them about this later if you want.' He hooked his arm around Max's shoulders to guide her out of Zeva's room without waking the kids. Knowing Max, she probably would wake them just to freak them out and that wouldn't be good for their newly resolved relationship. Assuming they had resolved their differences that was. And, by the looks of the way they were sleeping so intimately, he was confident that they had.

An hour and a half after the door clicked shut behind the adult alphas of the household, Cade stirred. Moaning at the feel of Zeva's almost naked warm body in his arms, he stroked her exposed back without opening his eyes. The fact that she hadn't moved from him meant she was in a deep sleep. Opening his eyes slowly, he adjusted them to the morning light that was pouring into the room from the window. He peeked at the sleeping beauty in his arms with a stupid grin splitting his face. She was sleeping soundlessly as she rested her head on his naked chest, her entire body splayed over his and her arm wrapped around his waist. Glad for the small mercy of having only her back on display to him, he tried to get out from under her before she could turn and give him a view of her breasts which were currently meshed into his ribs. His efforts to escape were useless. So, he just relaxed, waiting for her to wake up and willing his hard-on to came down.

Zeva cracked an eye open sleepily to find that her warm body-pillow was none other than Cade, the alpha of her dreams. At the realization, her heartrate picked up and she felt her body heat up. Hesitantly, she looked up at his face in the silent hope that he was still sleeping. It would be so awkward if he was awake. But, looking up, she found that she wasn't so damn lucky. Intense green eyes met her gaze head on. Quickly, she tried to pull out of his arms.

'Wait, Zeva.' When Cade saw her blush and nervous look, he knew she was uncomfortable by their position. He read her intent to move before she moved, so thankfully was able to stop her. He was rewarded by her angry huff and a roll of her eyes as her reaction to his tightening his arms around her. 'Don't get up unless you want to flash your breasts in my face.' He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and smirked.

Zeva was horrified by his crude statement. Blushing like mad, she smacked him on his chest. 'Shut up.'

Although he loved it when she was angry and blushing, he wanted to wipe the embarrased look from her face and wanted to put her at ease in her apparent discomfort. 'It's okay.' Stroking her back gently, he leaned forward and kissed her on the head. 'I'll close my eyes and you can grab your top. Okay?' He presented her with the only solution he could think of.

'Okay.' Zeva agreed. Seeing Cade shut his eyes, she quickly got out of his arms and put her vest-top back on. Without telling him that he could open his eyes, she silently got out of bed and rounded so she was standing on his side of the bed. Feeling bold, she leaned down and gave him a quick and hard kiss on his lips before pulling away and shoving him on the floor. He made a grab for her but she blurred out of her room, giggling madly.

Cade chased Zeva all the way to the bathroom where she had disappeared and knocked on the locked door. 'Zeva, that wasn't fair.' He pouted. The only response he heard was another set of giggles. Smiling happily, he went back to her bedroom. Knowing she needed them to get ready, he grabbed her towel and some underwear and clothes for her. Making his way back to the bathroom, he knocked on the door triumphantly. 'Zeva, open up. I got you some clothes and your towel.' A moment later, the door opened and an arm was extended out. He pushed his way in and was relieved to see that she hadn't disposed of her nightwear yet.

'Cade, what the hell?' Zeva tried to push him out.

Cade turned her so she was pinned between him and the door. 'You are a naughty girl, kissing me like that. But, running away after doing that was...' He whispered in her ear, seductively. Hearing her whimper and moan, he smiled mischievously. 'What should be your punishment?' Moving close to her, he rubbed his naked chest aginst her body.

Zeva couldn't take the torture anymore. 'Cade, please...'

'Please, what?' Cade asked huskily. He started drawing circles on her trembling shoulders.

She couldn't think straight. Why was he torturing her like this, why not just get on with fulfilling her need? Damn him, was he going to make her beg for it? The cocky bastard. 'Please...'

'Yeah?' Cade raised a brow in question. Taking the seduction up a notch, he leaned forward and captured her lips in a bruising kiss, biting down on her bottom lip.

'Please...' Zeva said breathlessly, getting in his face and giving him a lustful look. 'Please get the hell off me.' Zeva shrieked, shoving him off herself and guiding him out of the bathroom. She grinned at his shocked, confused, sulky face and winked, then shut the door on his face.

Coming out of his shock, Cade hollered. 'I'll get you back for this.'

'Whatever.' Was the answer to the threat as Zeva giggled through the door.

Alec was highly amused by how Cade and Zeva were treating each other. After seeing them in the morning, he subconsciously found himself watching them. Looking over at Max, he realized she was watching them too but discreetly. All of his pack was sitting around the dining table having breakfast. Breakfast was the usual affair of arguments and clattering but with one exception. For the first time since they had made Zeva pack, Cade was sitting next to her on the table.

If Alec hadn't already known of the teenagers' love, he sure would have known after their display of affection. It could hardly be missed. They weren't being obvious or outright in their display. But, to the trained eye like his, it was clear. He knew that Max could read them as easily. The only ones who seemed oblivious to this new development were his little baby girls who continued their morning arguments as usual.

Alec was reminded of his own courtship of Max when he saw the constant touching, the side glances, the arguing and the act of annoyance coming from them. It was like déjà vu. These were all signs that the couple had sorted out their issues. All that was left now was them admitting that they loved each other and wanted to mate with each other. Then, everything would be perfect. With Zeva and Cade mated, he could keep at least one of his daughter in the family, in the alpha pack. Not that his little angels were going to leave their Daddy soon. But, they would need to eventually. A decade or three later if he had any say in it.

'Daddy, Mommy, I wanted to talk to you about something important.' Zeva said as she spread cheese on her crackers. When she was finished, she placed the crackers on her plate only to have Cade steal one. Slapping his hand gently, she glared at him as he licked the cheese off the cracker before popping it in his mouth. The sly devil. She was sure, that had been a sexy act done on purpose to try to seduce her. Clearing her throat, she ripped her eyes away from him and gazed at her parents, a serious expression on her face to coincide with her request.

'Sure, baby. What's up?' Max had seen the interaction between her son and daughter. That was the reason why her face was split in a beatific smile. She was ecstatic to finally see kids of the next generation in love. It was a new experience. It wasn't everyday that one saw teenagers in love in the ordinary world which was pretty big, never mind the small nation of Deania. So, she felt honoured that she was privy to it.

Zeva chewed on her lip, feeling nervous. Maybe, she should've discussed this matter with someone else first. Gone over some kinda transcripted speech and rehearsed it. 'Idon'twannagoschoolnomore.' Her eyes widened like saucers. There, she'd said it.

'What?' Lima and Mila asked simultaneously and then exchanged annoyed glances. They had taken a break from their own bickering to listen in to what their sister had to say. Already, the twin sisters were dying to discuss Cade and Zeva's new lovey-dovey relationship development properly. At the moment, they were pretty much stuck discussing it in their own unique bicker-code. Great. Now, they would have more things to discuss. Both of the twins simultaneously rolled their eyes at their similar thought.

Zeva looked at the inquiring sets of eyes all around the table and sighed. Exhaling deeply, she shut her eyes to calm down and felt Cade's shoulder bump against hers. She opened her eyes and gave him a shy, loving smile which he returned. 'I don't want to go to school anymore. I think I have learnt as much as I need to learn or can learn in that place.' She waited for anger, disappointment or yelling. Nothing happened. 'I said...'

'Yeah. We heard. You don't want to go to school anymore.' Max cut her off. She couldn't say she was surprised. It was gonna happen sooner or later. The kids were going to want to leave school when they weren't getting anything out of it. 'So, what are you thinking of doing?' In her eyes, that was the most important question.

'I want to work or help at Command. I always wanted to become a bodyguard, a ninja because I wanted to kick some ass like you do.' Zeva shrugged, red-faced.

Alec chuckled before he spoke up to discuss his daughter's future with her. 'We're all born ninjas, with all that feline dna. If you want, I can teach you advanced fighting and mixed martial arts so you're more deadly. Fine tune your instincts to make you more accurate. That can be arranged. However, the bodyguard job is difficult, actually scratch that, it's impossible for me to find for you because transgenics and transhumans don't need protection. If you really must kick someone's ass, kick Cade's ass for fun any day. I can ban him from hitting you back if you want. But, as far as a fighting career is concerned, I'm afraid you'll have to pick another career.' He didn't want to disappoint his daughter but he couldn't be unrealistic with her and promise her something he couldn't provide. 'What else wouldn't you mind doing? Your maths teacher has said you are a mathematical genius. Maybe, we can find you something to do with numbers.'

'Alec, shut up for a minute. Let me sort this out.' Max leaned back in her chair. 'Zeva, for now you can just hang out with your Dad and I. If something comes up we'll give you the extra work so we'll go through work faster and you can learn from us. How's that sound?' She was pleased with her solution.

Zeva smiled at her Mommy. She liked both her parents' ideas. And, the fact that they hadn't gotten mad at her decision was a great bonus too. All in all, this wasn't going bad at all. 'Okay. I think that you both are right. Since I can't make my mind up yet I think I will shadow you at work until I can find something for myself as Mommy suggested.' She looked down at her plate and then up at her Daddy. 'But, Daddy, can you teach me all those fighting methods you mentioned just now?' She added, hastily, hoping the offer still stood.

'Course, baby. I'll start teaching you in my spare time at Command. I need to check my schedule for that. Cade could probably give you some lessons too. I've already trained him in all those fighting diciplines.' Alec stuffed a pancake in his mouth.

She nodded. 'There's no rush.' Zeva couldn't quite believe she was getting her way like this.

'Daddy, can I leave school too?' Lima pouted and widened her already anime green eyes.

'Silly, you can't do that. We have to go until we're older. Anyway, Lyla would be alone if we left her class.' Mila explained to her sister, shaking her head as if she were an adult chastising a stupid kid.

'Mila's right.' Max said, ruffling her adorable daughter's hair. Not that Lima was any less adorable but Mila always managed to be cuter and sweeter in her perspective of everything. It could possibly be because she was the younger twin. But, Max wasn't sure if that was the reason.

'No, she's a brown noser.' Lima retorted.

'Lima!' Alec warned. 'How many times do I have to tell you to stop your name-calling? You hurt your sister's feelings.'

'That would imply she has a heart.' Lima was in the mood of being a smart-ass. Seeing Mila turn red, however, she decided to shut up. 'Mi, I don't know why I hate you sometimes. I'm not even sorry. You're a baby and an ass.' What she was really saying was _Mi, I love you baby. I know you hate me for what I said. I'm sorry. You know, sometimes I can be an ass. _Lima maintained eye contact with Mila to get her message across. She knew she was forgiven when her little sis rolled her eyes and huffed out loud.

Cade had been silent. Letting Zeva get her result to her request first was a good idea, he'd thought. Now, he decided to make his voice known when she'd gotten her way. 'I've decided to leave school too. Well, I kinda decided when Ryan left but I had to stay because I didn't want to leave Zeva alone. Now, I have no excuse to stay since she's leaving anyway.' He shrugged as he explained. His parents response to his decision was different from how they had treated Zeva.

'What are you going to do? You probably want to cause trouble in Command. Wherever you and Ryan go together, trouble follows. You sure as hell ain't working with him if thats your plan.' Alec declared, sipping on a fresh cup of scalding coffee.

'Dad chill. I have no plans. I just know that I am not going to school. I'll do anything you want me to do in Command. I can hang out with Mole if that makes you happy.' Cade said in a sarcastic tone and rolled his eyes in annoyance.

'If that's your final decision then I'm okay with it. I guess you can also shadow us and share our workload until we find something for you to do.' Max beamed at her son.

'Thanks Mom, you're the best.' Cade smirked at her.

Alec snorted. 'Well, don't we all already know that.' He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. This earned him a slap upside his head by his temperamental mate. He will always claim that she was 50% temper and 50% mental to his family males. Not to any other male or female. Because she'd quite likely find out. And then she'd kill him.

Cade shook his head at his parents' behaviour. They were like children, throwing hissy fits or getting on each other's nerves most of the time. 'Mom! Dad!' When he had their attention, he said what he was going to say. 'You know, Zeva and I can take the girls to Biggs'. We might catch Ryan and Sara. Then, we can all go together to Command from there.' He grabbed his jacket from the couch in the living room after leaving the dining table.

'Okay. Make sure you take your sisters there directly. I don't want you all frolicking on the beach and the girls ending up being late for school.' Max clarified. She knew her kids loved the beach and tended to stay longer and spend more time on it than any other kids of the nation. It was a good distraction and an excuse for them. Countless times, she had to drag her little girls off it so they wouldn't be late for school. She was aware that the girls might take advantage of the two teenagers and fool them into staying on the beach for longer.

'Yes, Mom. Don't worry. Come on, girls. Let's go if you're ready.' Cade motioned for them to hurry up.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29 –

Ryan was stood near the entrance to his pack's home, waiting for Sara. He had to walk with her to Command. The decision hadn't been his but his Dad's, who had instructed him to accompany the pregnant female wherever she went. At this new demand, Ryan had thrown a tantrum in the hopes that his Dad would change his mind. He got his Mom involved in the argument too, thinking she might listen to him but it seemed they were both hell bent on making his life miserable. They kept repeating the same old crap about how Sara was his responsibility and he needed to protect her for the sake of his kid. As if he didn't already know this. They didn't need to keep reminding him. It only made him want to prove them wrong. After he realized they weren't going to budge on their decision, he gave up the fighting and dejectedly accepted his fate.

'Sara, hurry up. Or I won't let you listen to your music in my room.' Ryan shouted at the top of his lungs. When his eyes fell on his sisters, he smirked. They were covering their ears from his shouting. He gave them an innocent look. 'What?'

'My ears are bleeding, that's what.' Kyla scowled at him as her expression turned bitchy. 'Ryan, why do you always have to shout at Sara? You're so mean.'

'Ky, I'm so not in the mood for your BS right now. So why don't you do me a favor and shut up.' Ryan growled, furious with his sister taking the enemy's side. It irked him that his family seemed to love Sara better than him. The only explanation he could come up with was that she had cast some kind of spell on them. She probably asked Uncle Sam for a book of the sort. The trouble-causing witch.

Kyla huffed out in an angry manner. 'You don't deserve her.' She declared, getting up from where she'd been lounging on one of the couches. She left with an angry hiss. 'She's better than you.'

Lyla, who was sat on a nearby beanbag, gasped at her big sister's comment. She knew her brother was really sensitive and took things to heart. She rushed to console him. 'Ryan, Ky is being a bitch. Don't listen to her.' She tried to reassure him. But, she could see the damage was done. Still, she wrapped her arms tightly around his mid-section in the hope that her big brother would feel some comfort.

Ryan chewed on his bottom lip as he thought over what his sister had said to him. Kyla was right. It was true. He didn't deserve Sara. She was the best female he knew and he had ruined her life. Kyla had realized it, why couldn't the others? Why were they trying to ruin her life further? Because, that's what would happen if he mated her. He simply wasn't good enough for her.

Ryan looked down at Lyla and ruffled her blonde hair lovingly before hugging her back. He leaned down at her eye level and nuzzled her neck, wanting to take away her worry for him. 'Mila and Lima are coming.' Being the strong alpha that he was, he picked up their pack scent and voices ahead of their arrival in his pack's territory.

Keeping her arms around Ryan, Lyla trained her dark eyes on the expansive garden leading up to the entrance of their home. A couple of minutes later, Lima and Mila came into view. The twins were skipping along as they made their way to her home. Lyla pulled away from Ryan slightly, looking up at him. 'I need to get ready for school.' She squeezed him, giving him a final hug. 'I love you, Ryan. You're the bestest big brother ever.' She smiled, her cute dimples denting her cheeks.

Ryan felt his heart squeeze with the amount of love he could sense coming from his youngest sister. 'I love you too, L.' He said around the lump in his throat. Before Lyla could go to her room, he pulled her close to him and nuzzled her neck again. Needing to feel comfort and love, he drank in her beautiful familiar scent. Giving her a kiss on her head, he gently pushed her towards the staircase. 'Go, get ready.'

Left alone with his thoughts, Ryan shut his eyes to clear his head. He wanted to leave, go out near the ocean but his parents were still home. He couldn't afford for them to find out that he had left Sara to go alone to Command. If that happened, somehow they'd find a way to punish him. Exhaling loudly, he opened his eyes to find Lima and Mila running up the steps to the door. After hurriedly hugging him, the twins left to go to Lyla's room.

He looked out of the door to take a look at who was there to drop the twins off and was shocked to see Cade and Zeva coming up the steps. 'Hey.' As always, he gave Cade a one-armed hug and Zeva a quick bear hug. 'What are you guys doing here?' He couldn't help the surprise from sounding in his voice.

Cade gave Ryan a shit-eating grin. Hooking his arm around the glowering Zeva, he explained. 'Zeva managed to talk Mom and Dad into letting her quit school. And, then I asked them. They were cool with it. We're gonna work in Command from now on. We thought we'll walk with you.' Cade could hardly manage to contain his excitement. Oh man, he felt as though he was high on some kind of drug. It must've been because Zeva was with him. Zeva was his addiction. She was his drug. After all, that had been proven to him when she withdrew her contact.

Ryan saw the loving glances, the constant touching and the way Cade kept nuzzling Zeva's neck. All were signs that his best friend had managed to tell Zeva of his feelings. Though he was happy for them, he couldn't help the feeling of isolation and loneliness that overcame him. He felt these powerful negative feelings because he felt alone in his need to deny the existence of love. Was he the only one who had problems with the concept of romantic love? Sure as hell, it seemed like that was the case.

'Is Sara still here?' Zeva had seen the look on Ryan's face when he had realized that she and Cade were back on good terms. As crazy as it was, he had looked happy and sad all at the same time. She was sure that the sadness had nothing to do with her and Cade. The only likely cause was Sara. Ryan was still in denial of everything and it wasn't helping his relationship with Sara. She was positive; her self-proclaimed brother had strong feelings for the brunette. She just didn't understand why he was denying the truth.

'Yeah, she's upstairs. I've been waiting for her for ages now. I don't know what the fuck she's doing up there.' Ryan shrugged, looking out longingly. He really needed to get out because if he didn't, soon he was going to blow up with the amount of pressure he felt building around him. It was as though the walls were caving in on him.

'What? You are waiting for Sara?' Cade asked, amazed. He couldn't believe it. His brother was finally showing he cared about the girl. He hadn't expected Ryan, the stubborn ass, to give up his don't-care-about-her pretence so fast but maybe something had happened between the two. It was about time that something happened. Sara was sharing his brother's bedroom. It couldn't get more personal than that.

'This morning, Dad dropped a bombshell. From now on, I have to escort Sara everywhere if she doesn't have someone going with her. I mean, can you believe that?' Ryan tried his best to sound outraged.

'I'll go and get Sara.' Zeva grimaced at the direction the talk was going in. She squeezed Ryan's shoulder in warning as she made to leave to go get her pregnant friend.

Hearing the door to his room open and shut, signaling that Zeva was out of earshot, Ryan asked Cade what he'd been dying to ask since he'd seen his friends together. 'So, are you two mated or something?' Both males knew that only a mated male could tell if another was mated. Ryan wasn't mated, he'd never know if Cade was unless someone told him, hence the questioning.

'No. We're just taking it slowly. We're not ready for that yet.' Cade admitted, a little embarrassed by his brother's direct question.

'So, what are you two together?' Ryan was confused and curious. He wanted to know if Cade had told Zeva that he loved her. Getting a silent nod as a response, which wasn't sufficient info for him, he fired another question. 'Have you done it with her?'

'What?! No. Dude, she isn't…we're not ready for that yet.' Cade felt himself go red. 'She just started talking to me only last night.' He explained.

'I'm happy for you, bro.' Ryan said sincerely, giving Cade an intense serious look. 'But don't hurt her again or I'll personally break your bones.' He added, with a smirk marring his face.

When Zeva got to Ryan's bedroom, she was hit by the unwelcome smell of fresh tears. She breathed in deeply and walked further into the room. Sighing, she shook her head in annoyance at Ryan. She was certain that the hot-head was the cause of the tears. Not finding Sara in the bedroom, she went over and knocked on the bathroom door.

'Sara, get out or let me in.' Zeva ordered. Not getting an answer or hearing any signs of movement, she tried again. 'If you don't open up, I'm breaking the door. I'm sure Ryan will be happy to see a broken door.' She couldn't help the sarcasm from bleeding into her threat. It worked. A moment later, she had a sobbing Sara in her arms. 'What's wrong?'

'The baby doesn't like it.' Sara's face crumbled as fresh tears fell. She hated crying. It made her feel stupid. No wonder Ryan was always annoyed with her. She probably looked stupid and weak to him.

Zeva was ready to kill Ryan when she saw Sara's bloodshot eyes. Her friend looked like a hurt kid who had been crying for too long in mourning for a dead pet. 'The baby doesn't like what?' She asked to clarify. But, silence and a fresh bout of tears was the answer she got. 'I'm going to work at Command from today. I thought I'd go with you. Ryan is waiting for you. Why aren't you down? Aren't you going today? You should've told him. He's going mad downstairs.' She hoped the mention of Ryan might calm her younger friend. It had the opposite effect, as she started to back-away into the bathroom. 'Sara, answer me, damnit.' Zeva's patience was wearing thin.

'Ryan is angry with me. He's been shouting all morning. I can't go to Command with him.' Sara didn't want her only friend to be mad at her so she confessed her dilemma as best she could. Receiving a confused look from Zeva, she drew her eyes downwards to stare blankly at the floor.

Zeva rolled her eyes. 'So, you're not going down cause you're scared of Ryan?' She asked, incredulously. 'You know, he would never actually hurt you in any way.' Zeva reached out and stroked her hair, trying to soothe her.

Although Ryan would never hurt her physically, Sara knew of other types of pain that he could cause her. And, had caused her. However, she didn't want to think about that now. Her priority was to calm her baby down. 'The baby doesn't like it when Ryan is angry. I think, he feels scared or something because he gets uncomfortable and tense. He's not calming down. I need him to calm down. Oh, I just…I can't calm him. And, Ryan is angry at me.' She let out in a single breath, giving her older and wiser friend a helpless look.

Zeva's heart clenched and throat tightened, seeing Sara trying to calm her unborn baby. 'Come on, let's go down. Trust me, he'll be okay. I'm with you. I won't let Ryan shout at you, I promise.' She got hold of Sara's hand and held it in her own. Guiding her little friend out of the room and down the stairs, she gave her a reassuring smile. She needed to give Sara a talk about this business with Ryan but this wasn't the time or the place. It would have to wait.

'What the hell were you doing?' Ryan asked. Raising his voice higher than it was necessary, he glared at Sara who winced at his words and averted her gaze from everyone in the room.

'Hey, Sara. You okay?' Cade quickly moved over to Sara and gave her a small hug. She gave him a tight smile which didn't reach her eyes. Something was wrong. 'Is my nephew okay?' He hadn't expected the tremble in her lips and her eyes filling up. 'What's wrong?' He leveled a questioning look at Zeva as he noticed that she was supporting Sara by holding her.

Zeva turned her fire-blazing eyes, quite a feat considering she had such a cool eye colour, to Ryan and glared at him. 'Ryan, stop shouting at Sara. Why are you always angry at her?'

'She fucking gets on my nerves. I've been waiting for her to get down for over fifteen minutes.' He reasoned. Checking the time, he shook his head. 'Twenty minutes not fifteen.' He corrected.

'So freaking what? It's not the end of the world. Anyway, it's your own fault. She would have been down ages ago if it wasn't for your temper.' Zeva bitchfaced.

'Wh..what?!' Ryan stuttered out, bewildered. 'My temper?'

'When you shout at Sara or when you're angry around her, the baby gets scared. Sara didn't want to come down because you were shouting at her since morning. The baby isn't calming down.' Zeva enlightened Ryan. Finding Cade suddenly growling and glaring at Ryan made Zeva proud that he was already so protective of the new addition to the family.

For the first time since Sara had come down with Zeva, Ryan let his eyes travel all over her. She looked scared and tense. Without another thought, he got close to her. She gave him a frightened gaze as he placed his hand on her stomach and leaned down to nuzzle her neck. 'Why didn't you tell me?' He softly chastised, wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumbs. Looking into her eyes with intensity, he hoped she could see how sorry he was for the way he treated her, for everything.

Cade felt like he was intruding on this intimate moment between his brother and his girl. The same couldn't be said for his own girl though. Zeva looked like she was watching a romantic moment in a chick-flick. A split second ago, he had an insane urge to offer some kind of wisecrack about this to her in order to piss her off. Just in time, he stopped himself. He was glad that he had kept his mouth shut. Zeva was very forgiving but she'd never forgive him for ruining Ryan and Sara's tender moment.

Sara felt her son relax inside her at Ryan's touch. In her relief, she cried tears of joy. The reason for her happiness wasn't only her son settling down but also the way Ryan was trying to comfort her and her son. He genuinely looked concerned and sorry. She knew of his love for their unborn son. Like any good alpha male, good father, he could do anything for his son. The part of her that was the believer of true love wished he could love her as well like he loved their son. But, her logical mind told her to stop wishing because it was never going to happen. He was perfect in every way. He would only want to mate with someone who was perfect. She wasn't perfect. According to him, she wasn't even the type of female he liked.

Ryan planted his arm around Sara's waist, his hand drawing circles on the side of her stomach. 'Come on, let's go. I need to get out of here.' He motioned for everyone to get going. 'We'll stop on the beach for a few minutes, okay? I really need to.' He suggested to Cade. Receiving a nod, he grinned at his best friend.

On the beach, Cade decided that he was missing touching Zeva so he tackled her to the ground and pinned her down. She squirmed and giggled in protest. He wouldn't let her up. It was too much fun to tickle her on the beach. Kissing her on the neck, he looked up to see Sara throwing longing looks at Ryan and Ryan trying to watch Sara without making it obvious. An idea occurred to him, he leaned forward and kissed Zeva's earlobe before letting her in on his awesome idea.

Zeva started blushing as Cade finished telling her his supposedly perfect idea. She nodded to him in agreement. If it was going to help her friends then it was worth it.

Cade smiled at Zeva's acceptance. He moved so that his body was fully covering hers and then started kissing her passionately on the lips. In effect, providing some soft porn for the two teenagers sitting on the beach watching them. The idea was to get them feeling frustrated enough to spill their feelings to each other. After a lot of lip action and sounds of pleasure, he stopped the kissing before it got out of control. He beamed at his lady love and got off her.

Zeva dragged her eyes away from Cade and instead trained them on Ryan and Sara. They both were looking at the sand in front of their red faces. They looked uncomfortable and embarrassed. She exchanged a glance with Cade and realized that he was happy with the result. The couple did look like they had something on their minds. She had a feeling Cade might be right in thinking they'd imagine themselves getting hot and heavy.


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N; As always, thankyou to everyone who reviews... specially those of you who can't sign in hence don't get a thanks reply from me... this story is still going strong coz of you guys... it's your enthusiasm for the story that motivates me... i love this story more than any piece i hav ever wrote... specially,my own creations Zeva, Cade, Ryan, Sara... i wish they existed but i guess they do in my mind...so keep sharing the love... **

Chapter 30 –

Arriving at the huge dove-shaped building of Command, Zeva stopped Sara from leaving her side with a question that had been playing on her mind for a couple of minutes now. 'Sara, where do you normally get your lunch?' She asked. At first, she'd assumed that Ryan was probably getting her friend's lunch. However, seeing the way he treated her most of the time, she doubted it. And, Sara had been coming to Command since she was old enough to learn so it was common sense that she would already have an arrangement for lunch before Ryan started working at Command. She wouldn't need him. Zeva didn't think Sara was starving herself so she wasn't worried. She wanted to know, more for her own sake than Sara's.

'Oh, erm…everyone at Command orders from Neo's place. Alec says it's better if we all put in the orders together so the finance department can pay for the entire orders once, as a whole, rather than paying for individual orders. Narlia takes everyone's orders and calls Neo to place them. Usually, Dix orders mine. But, I've been ordering myself lately because he doesn't know what to order for me since I became pregnant. I get weird cravings for different foods.' Sara replied, moving loose strands of brown hair from her eyes. She smiled at her friend, hoping to show that she was okay with everything. She could see the concern in the older female's deep blue eyes.

'Does Neo deliver the orders himself?' Zeva laughed, imagining the stocky male carrying boxes full of food. Neo was the albino-looking café owner who loved cooking and providing food for those who couldn't be bothered to cook or learn to cook for themselves. His, was the only food place in the entire nation of Deania. He could pretty much cook anything. If you asked him, what was his specialty? His answer was always that he thought he was a culinary genius. Zeva had eaten from his café a couple of times since she came to Deania from Scherzo. Lima was a big fan of his chocolate milkshake which was made from his own secret recipe and Mila claimed she could die for the chicken pie he made.

'He gets some of his males to drop the boxes off.' Sara saw a thoughtful look cross Zeva's face. Hearing familiar male voices, she turned slightly to watch Ryan and Cade finally come in the building from the beach. She wondered what they'd been talking about. Ryan didn't look too happy and Cade was smirking, looking amused. When Ryan's dark brown eyes met her hazel orbs, she quickly dropped her gaze to the floor.

Zeva noticed Sara's reaction to Ryan and Cade's entrance. She'd also caught Sara and Ryan's eyes meeting before Sara broke the eye contact. She didn't really blame Sara for trying to avoid Ryan. The guy was a hot-head. Recently, he always looked angry. Before this situation between him and Sara, she'd always thought that Ryan was the calm, rational one, out of the dynamic duo which was her secret name for Cade and Ryan. The males were always together which had prompted her to choose such a name for them. 'Okay, then I'll come and hang out with you at lunch if that's alright with you.' She said rather loudly so the two males would hear it too.

Sara couldn't help the joy from bubbling up in her. She always felt so lonely at Command even though Dix was usually working in the same room. She'd never had anyone to hang out with before Zeva came into her life. She was so grateful to have such a good friend. 'Yeah, that'll be nice. I get bored anyway.'

Cade pouted, feeling sulky. He'd heard the exchange between the females. What was this, Zeva was going to abandon him at lunch? 'Zeva, I thought you're having lunch with me?' He whined, hoping he could change her mind.

'Cade, don't be obnoxious. I'm hanging out with my girl and that's that. Deal with it.' Zeva stated, annoyed at Cade for not thinking about Sara's delicate state. He was being mean. Gosh, why were all males mean? Well, her Daddy wasn't. And, Biggs, Dalton, Joshua. But all the other males didn't seem to care about the feelings of females. Huh, so annoying.

'But, what am I gonna do? And, I thought we're meant to be…you know…together.' Cade saw red. She was supposed to love him more than everyone. What was everyone going to think if they knew she preferred other's company to his?

Zeva sighed. 'Cade, you can hang out with Ryan, duh. Anyway, who said we're together. Mijn Liefde, you're going to get your ass kicked by me if you say things like that in front of anyone in Command or anywhere.' She planted her hands on her hips like she'd seen her Mommy do countless times, trying to look dangerous.

Rolling his eyes disbelievingly, Cade scoffed. 'Yeah, sure you can kick my ass.' Thinking back to what she'd called him, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her squirming form against himself, effectively trapping her there. Sure that she had only called him Mijn Liefde, my love in Dutch, because she thought he didn't know the language, he decided to alarm her a little. 'I know what that means.' If he was being cocky, he didn't care. It was worth the look on Zeva's face when she realised what he meant. He nuzzled her neck and kissed her behind her earlobe before gazing back into her deep blue eyes. 'I don't get you sometimes. You were fine with me kissing you and stuff earlier.' He murmured. He saw her blush a crimson red and wiggled his eyebrows in delight at her reaction.

'Cade! Shut up.' Zeva warned, shoving him away and hastily moving closer to Sara. Did any male ever feel shame? She didn't think so. She hooked her arm around the silent Sara, who was chewing on her lip as she gave her a watery look. 'Sara, I'll see you at lunch. You want me to walk with you to your room?' She pulled her in a hug, rubbing a soothing hand down the pregnant female's back.

'You should stay with Cade.' Sara muttered. She really didn't want to create any problems between the two. She was so happy that her friend was finally together with the male she loved. She couldn't spoil it for Zeva. 'It's your first day working here. You should spend lunch together. I'll see you later.' She made to leave.

'Sara, wait. I'm sorry. Zeva's right. I was being selfish. I wasn't thinking clearly. I guess, Zeva makes me all crazy.' Cade winked at Sara to give her reassurance. She gave him a genuine, grateful smile which made him feel guilty for being a selfish bastard. If it wasn't for Zeva, he wouldn't have even thought about Sara. 'I was going to hang out with this bitch here, anyway.' He slapped the unusually quite Ryan on his back. To which, the silent male mouthed Jerk back to him, looking clearly pissed.

'I'll see you then.' Zeva assured.

Sara nodded in acceptance. Giving Ryan a half-lidded defeated look, she sashayed past the other teenagers and left to go to the large room filled with computers and computer accessories of all makes and models. Those electrical gadgets were her only friends for the past 14 yrs, since she was born. She was glad she now had more friends. Real friends. Maybe, one day she'd have someone who could love her for her as well.

Ryan watched Sara go and exhaled, unhappily. This wasn't lost on the other two teenagers present, he noticed too late. 'I need to go, see if Dad's here.' He moved closer to Zeva and gave her a hug to catch a whiff of the familiar female scent in order to calm himself.

Zeva felt the nervous energy surrounding Ryan and immediately wanted to calm him down. She exchanged a concerned look with Cade. 'Ryan, you should exchange scents with Sara. It would make her feel better. She doesn't have her own pack around her to do that. And, it will help you feel better too.' She softened her face to make him understand that she wasn't having a go at him.

Cade silently agreed with Zeva's suggestion. It was true. Ryan would feel better if he could keep his female's smell close to him. Although Cade knew this for other reasons which were only known to the males of the transgenic species, he handed it to Zeva for always picking up on the core issues of a problem. Ryan's tense posture, his sad eyes, his unusual quietness screamed of his need to be with Sara. He hoped his brother would just abandon his stubborn attitude and got over his insecurities soon. 'I'll see you at lunch. Meet me in the basement.' He decided to let Ryan go, as he looked so uncomfortable.

After Ryan had left, Cade grabbed hold of Zeva's hand. 'Come on, let's go. Dad's already text me once about why we're taking so long?' He informed her.

Quietly, Zeva walked alongside Cade until they got to the main common room which led to their parents' office. Noticing a few transgenics in the common room, she pulled her hand free from Cade's tight grip. He smirked at her, looking amused by her behaviour. Dismissing her feelings of nervousness, she marched through the room with an air of authority as though she owned the place. After all, she was an alpha and part of the alpha pack. She could hardly show her anxiety without looking weak. And, she wouldn't do that. She needed the transgenics to take her rank seriously.

Cade saw the transformation in Zeva and couldn't help but feel proud. She looked every bit the alpha female that she was. Every stride gave out the signal of her status and rank. He followed her as she greeted everyone on her way to the far end of the huge room, to their parents' office.

Alec looked up from where his head was buried in Max's neck when a faint knock sounded on their office door. Already, he knew who was knocking on the door because his sharp instincts had picked up on the presence of his kids in the building, close to their office. Laughing at Max scrambling to get out of his lap, he called out to his kids. 'Come in. Door's open.'

Max smacked Alec upside his head before getting back in her own chair beside his. 'Alec, I hate you. I'm gonna kick your ass for trying to embarrass me.' A few seconds ago, he'd pulled her in his lap, claiming to be feeling horny. However, now she knew that he'd already felt the kids were close so had decided to put on a show.

Alec shrugged and rolled his eyes at Max. Seeing Zeva enter, Cade in tow, he got hold of all the papers that needed sorting out. 'Max, don't distract me when I'm trying to work.' He deadpanned, wanting to wind her up. Unfortunately or probably fortunately, she didn't take the bait. She went back to looking through her schedule like she had been doing before he pulled her in his lap.

Zeva went up to her parents and quickly exchanged scents with them. After she'd done this, she took a seat on the table beside her Mommy. 'Mommy, what work can I do?' She asked, getting straight to the point. She was determined to prove to her parents that she was serious about working at Command. She wanted them to know that she would be beneficial to their cause. She also had a desire to make her dead parents as well as her new parents proud of her.

Alec smiled at Zeva's enthusiasm to start working. She was just like Max in her need to help everyone. He'd known this for some time now. Despite having none of Max's genes, their daughter was a lot like her. 'Here, you and Cade can sort out these papers. Just highlight all the dates and make sense of all the papers before separating them in bundles of similar papers.' He instructed his kids as he handed the huge pile of papers to Zeva. Zeva was listening carefully and nodding whereas Cade was busy watching Zeva's every move. A strong feeling of amusement came over Alec. It was going to be interesting watching the two teenagers interact as they worked together.

'Where are we going to work?' Suddenly, Cade became aware of the fact that he wouldn't be working alone with Zeva. The realization didn't make him happy. He wanted to spend some time alone with her, away from prying eyes.

Alec could see why his son was more worried about the location of their work. 'You will work here, in this room. Sit over there.' He pointed at the couch at the far right in the room. The couch had a coffee table in front of it. They'd be comfortable there and he could keep an eye on them.

Max allowed Alec to deal with the kids. She had to prepare for the telephone conference she was going to have with the President of US. She was nervous. The president was new. He had only been elected a couple of weeks ago. Already, he was getting on a lot of other nations' leaders' nerves. As far as her intelligence soldiers were concerned, the outspoken president was making enemies fast.

Soon, it became clear that having Cade and Zeva working in the same room as them was very distracting. Although the two weren't doing anything which would beg their attention, Max found herself watching them from the corner of her eyes and saw Alec doing the same. It was obvious who was doing most of the work. Cade had been reading the same page for the past five minutes and was continuously trying to capture Zeva's attention by touching her. And, Zeva was doing her best to ignore him and finish the work. Max caught Alec's eyes and huffed out, going back to her work.

Time passed with the four doing their work quietly. Next time Alec looked at the clock mounted on the wall, it was nearly lunch time. On cue, the communication device that was linked throughout Command flashed green. 'Yeah?' Alec switched it on to hear the incoming call.

'Are you ready to order?' Narlia asked in her monotone. The female transgenic always handled all lunch orders because she had a secret crush on Neo which the male was oblivious to.

'Yeah. Max will have the chicken salad and I want one of his large triple cheese burgers with fries.' Alec glanced at Cade and Zeva as he placed his order. 'Narlia, you may have heard Cade and Zeva have started working here. They'll need to order too.' He added. Raising his eyebrows, he asked his kids the silent question.

'I'll have my usual burger and fries. Neo will know what I mean.' Cade shouted so that Narlia could hear him. He brushed his fingertips along the back of Zeva's neck. Feeling her body vibrate in reaction, he smirked. 'What do you want?' He made the whisper sound husky and seductive.

Zeva was getting sick of Cade trying to seduce her at any given opportunity. She loved him but that didn't mean she was ready for displays of affection in front of everyone, especially their parents. It was downright embarrassing. She leaned forward to escape his fingers touching her neck again and making the fire light up in her stomach which she so needed to quench before she did something stupid. 'I'll have a medium chicken burger with fries.' She told her Daddy.

An hour later, a knock sounded on the office door and Ale came in bearing a few bags and dropping them on the table in front of Max. 'Max, I'm going to quit being nice enough to serve everyone. I mean it.' She glared daggers at the leaders of the nation.

'Why what happened?' Max inquired, fed up of everyone always involving her into their personal problems.

'Mole threw the boxes on my toe. Is he blind? I'm telling you, he hates me. One of these days I'll get injured. The boxes are heavy.' The female growled.

'I'll talk to Mole. He won't do it again.' Max insisted.

'Well, he better not.' Ale replied.

'If you ask me, I think he has the hots for you. He just doesn't know how to express himself without using violence.' Alec chimed in.

The angry female rolled her eyes. Haughtily curling her lip, she dragged her feet behind her as she left.

Grabbing her labeled lunch, Zeva walked over to the door. 'I'm going to eat lunch with Sara.' She informed her family before leaving. She heard Cade give his whereabouts as he left the office and started running to catch up with her.

'You know where Sara'll be?' Cade was sure Zeva didn't know where the computer rooms were.

Resentfully, Zeva admitted her lack of knowledge of the location of Sara's room. 'I've never been in the room where she works in.' She pouted at him, hoping he'd give her directions.

'I'll take you.' Cade grabbed hold of her hand and started guiding her towards Sara's room which he assumed was the same as Dix's room. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her blushing as she tried to avoid looking at their linked hands. Spotting the computer rooms from the other end of the hallway, he pointed at them. 'The computer rooms are there. She'll be in one of them. I don't know which. I've never been to see her.' He explained, turning Zeva to face him. Hurriedly, he leaned forward and kissed her on her lips. Then, he ran off to meet Ryan ahead of Zeva's reaction to the kiss. He wasn't in the mood for her throwing a tantrum in front of him.

Zeva smiled and traced her lips where she felt his lips imprinted. She found herself blushing because of his actions. She couldn't get Cade out her head as she checked all the rooms for Sara. He was being sucha impulsive, cute, sweet, hot alpha male. She was glad she had forgiven him. Finding Sara in a huge computer room at the end of the hallway, she let herself in. 'Hey.'

Sara peered up from where she had been staring at her untouched salad. 'Oh, hey. Please sit.' She moved to grab a chair for her friend but Zeva stopped her, placing a hand on her upper arm.

'It's okay. I'll get it myself. You take it easy.' Zeva felt concern at the dejected look on Sara's face. Taking a seat, she took her food out from her bag and took a bite of her burger. Sara wasn't eating her own salad, playing with the food in the container instead. 'Sara, this isn't good.' Zeva pointedly looked at Sara's food.

'I…I don't…I'm…' Sara tried to come up with a plausible excuse to get away with eating. She didn't feel like eating. Didn't have the appetite. Really, she didn't want to do anything. Her heart felt like it was bleeding. How could she do anything with a hurt heart? She'd spent the past few hours thinking about Ryan and her own miserable existence.

Zeva sighed. 'Sara, you need to eat for my nephew.' She'd heard her Mommy and Cece saying that the baby was the priority of any mother. So, it would definitely make Sara eat.

'He hates me.' Sara gasped at her confession. She hadn't meant to say it out loud. Her worried friend would only get more worried. The way she felt about Ryan should be kept in the recesses of her mind. She'd already caused problems by becoming pregnant.

Consumed by the feelings of anger and compassion, Zeva swallowed hard. 'He doesn't hate you.' She abandoned her food in favour of feeding Sara her salad. Forcing the spoon of salad in the pregnant female's mouth, she told her reason for her conclusion. 'You know, I used to think Cade hated me but now I know he doesn't because he's stopped hiding how he really feels. It took, me refusing his alpha status and disowning him as my pack male, for him to finally admit what he really thought about me.'

Sara smiled through her shiny eyes. 'It's obvious Cade loves you. Everyone knew about it ages ago. There were bets placed here at Command that you'll end up mating.' Though she had never bet on anything herself, she was aware of the betting market in Deania. Dix was an active member of the betting community. Being her mentor, he always told her to keep up-to-date with everything in case he missed something.

Zeva blushed, feeling butterflies fluttering in her stomach at the mention of Cade mating with her. 'I didn't know that. I thought he hated me. This only proves my point.' She argued.

'What is your point?' Sara was confused.

Zeva munched on a few fries, offering them to Sara and not taking no for an answer. 'My point is, Ryan loves you. It's obvious to all of us. For some reason unknown to me, he's hell-bent on denying his feelings. But, you don't worry. I'm going to get it out of him.' She promised.

Sara's eyes lit up. Was there still hope for her love? 'How?'

'It's time you stop taking Ryan's crap, for starters. You're too nice to him. He treats you so bad. And, he does it cause he knows he can get away with it. I think the only way to get him to admit his feelings is by doing the opposite of everything you've been doing.' Zeva saw the confusion on Sara's face and tried to clarify what she meant. 'You should start ignoring him when he wants your attention. I'm going to ask Cade about alpha male behaviour. We'll know what to do then. Eat up, don't think about it too much.' She tucked into her own delicious food.

After an hour of listening to Ryan repeatedly denying his desire to mate with Sara, Cade went back to his parents' office room to find Zeva sitting alone on their couch. 'Where's Mom and Dad?'

Zeva stretched out on the couch, giving Cade a view of the small strip of stomach that was exposed by her raised top. She saw him visibly swallow. 'They just went to the conference room for a telephone conference they've got with the US president. I think they're gonna take a couple of hours at least.' She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

It was all the encouragement Cade needed to pounce on her. Positioning himself over Zeva, he pinned her to the couch. 'Are you trying to seduce me? It's working.' He grinned at her.

Zeva remembered why she'd been doing this in the first place. 'Cade, I needed to ask you something?'

'Hmmm?' Cade started kissing her neck, hoping her question had something to do with sex.

'What makes an alpha male want to mark his chosen female?' Zeva wasn't sure if she should tell Cade why she wanted to know this.

Cade pulled away slightly and looked at his chosen female, trying to decipher why she'd ask this of him. 'Why are you asking?'

Zeva chewed her bottom lip and averted her eyes from Cade's. It was probably for the best if she told him the reason. In fact, he may be able to help her. 'Sara doesn't believe Ryan loves her so I need to prove it to her. She's so hurt. I was thinking of what we could do to keep her hope alive. I know he'll admit it one day but till then I don't want Sara to suffer like she's been doing. So, will you tell me?' She pleaded.

'You know, if I help you it'll be like betraying my brother.' Cade felt like he was stuck in the middle of not wanting to betray his friend and not wanting to refuse his love.

'I'll give you touch.' Zeva tried to persuade him by enticing him with something she knew he'd want.

'Touch? I get it from you anyway.' Cade smirked, amused that she thought her offer would work.

'No, silly. I meant, touch as in a massage. You've never gotten that from me.' Zeva smirked, trying to be brave. Offering him that kind of touch was risky. She knew he got turned on easily. But, she was doing it for her friend.

Cade couldn't say no to an offer of a massage from Zeva. It was the stuff of his most awesome dreams. 'Okay. It's a deal. I'll tell you how to get Ryan to turn alpha male for his female. But, I want that massage tonight.' He pouted.

'Deal. Tonight, it is. Now, tell me.' Zeva shifted under Cade's body to move away from his growing bulge in his pants.

In the mood to create mischief, Cade rubbed himself against Zeva before getting off her. 'It's easy. Get hold of a strange male alpha whose scent won't be familiar to Ryan and make him hug Sara. When Ryan smells another male's scent on her, he'll go in his instincts and he won't be able to control his need to rub his own scent on her. That's how you can tell if an alpha thinks of a female as pack or not.' He supplied.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31 –

Max stalked through Command. Her face set in an expression of rage, and her body language taut and furious. Several transgenics, who worked at Command, spotted her making her way through the building and shrank away, trying to escape her wrath. Fear, she noted with a grim smile, fear which made her who she was, a strong alpha. And, fear which was currently making her appear fearless to others. The irony. She shook her head at the thought. But the fear paled in comparison with the boiling anger she was feeling right now. She was fuming. And, rightly so. The nerve of that bastard. How dare he threaten her, her family, her nation? No one who knew her or had ever met her had the guts to intimidate her. She ought to pay the dickwad a visit. See how he'd like that. It was probably time for such a tussle. Keep other leaders in check.

Alec followed Max as they made their way back to their office from the conference room where they'd had an important meeting over the phone with the president of US. From her tense shoulders and angry stride, it was obvious to him that Max was pissed and in one of her bitchiest moods. 'Maxie, relax. You know, he can't do anything.' He tried to calm her. He wasn't happy with the outcome of the meeting either but he didn't want everyone at Command finding out about a shitty meeting the leaders had with one of the most powerful men in the world. This sort of thing was bad for morale. No one knew this better than him. 'Most of the world's leaders don't agree with him so we're okay.' He argued.

Max entered their office, neglecting to respond to Alec. She needed time to think. It was times like these when she missed the space needle. That place had been her place. The high place as one of her beloved brothers had called it. How she wished she had a similar place here. Many times, she had thought to ask for a similar place to be built but she knew that it would be pointless. She could never truly hide away from her problems here. She had a whole nation and her family to look after. Unlike then, when she had to look out for number one. And, there was always someone who would be able to pinpoint her whereabouts here anyway. With the space needle, it had only ever been Alec who knew it was her place. If she couldn't have it like that then she didn't want it at all.

She marched over to her chair, sparing her son and daughter just a brief glance before sitting down. Alec came and sat beside her on the table, facing her. 'Alec, I wish I could rest for a bit.' She ran a hand through her hair, feeling tired and drained. Running a nation was so damn hard. She didn't know what she would have done, would do, without Alec. He may have been her SIC but he was the rock formation the whole nation was standing on. Without him, Deania would be nothing but a wish, dream, hope.

Alec knew what Max meant. After so many years together, it was almost telepathic between them, their communication, needs and wants. Over the years, he had asked her if she wanted him to have a space needle style building made for her. Because he knew her fondness for the space needle had never died even after such a long time. Knew that she missed having a place she could go to, a place she could be alone to think, to rest. But, she always refused. Her argument was that the transgenics with sharper senses would always be able to locate her. Despite knowing that she was right, he still wished she would let him build her a space needle. To compensate, he had built their home into a tall building with a roof, hoping she would make use of that instead. And, she did sometimes.

He turned his head towards the couch his kids were occupying. Cade and Zeva were watching him and Max curiously. Aware of their worry and confusion, he smiled at them to hopefully convey that there was nothing to be concerned over. He was about to tell them to go and get a drink or something so he could be alone with Max but he was stopped by an urgent knock on the door. Next second, a panicked Biggs, followed closely by Ryan, barged in. 'Wha...' Alec was startled. To his relief, his mate and kids hadn't seen him jump because they were too busy jumping out of their own skins. It was always a bruise to the ego of an alpha male if his pack thought he was easily affected. He couldn't have that. Biggs would probably never let him live it down and tell his older brothers.

'Max, Alec, we have a problem. A female has gone into heat. All the unmated and ready males are challenging each other as we speak.' Biggs shrieked as he took a seat in front of the two leaders' chair. 'Max, you should handle this. I tried but the female was trying to you know...' He cut off, looking embarrassed.

Max raised an eyebrow at Biggs' discomfort. Cece wasn't going to be happy if the female had left any scent on him. She knew she'd be mad if Alec smelled of another female which had happened a lot in the beginning of the formation of Deania. 'But, I thought all our females have been treated. Biggs, we don't suffer from heats anymore. Unless, it's a Scherzo female.' She got a nod as an affirmation.

'Where's the female?' Alec asked. 'We should go before males become aggressive over her. She'll want them to fight for her.' He got up and took hold of Max's hand, motioning Biggs to follow. 'Kids, you should go home. Take Sara with you. A female in heat can cause a lot of problems. Specially, for a pregnant female.' He didn't want to scare his kids but he had no choice because it was true. Females in heat who couldn't find a mate always went after pregnant females so they could kill the offspring of other females who had been lucky to find a male.

At the mention of Sara, Ryan's ears perked up and his heart rate picked up. His animal instincts went in hyper-alert when Alec's words registered in his brain properly. 'What do you mean?' He asked, dreading the answer.

'Ryan, we need to get going before something bad happens. Just get Sara and go home. We'll see you at home.' Alec saw the concern in Ryan. It was obvious the teenager was worried. His tense body language and the way his brown eyes were wide screamed panic. He wished he could stay to comfort the kid somehow but there was no time. As the top Alpha in the nation, he was the only one who could control all the males. He had to go. Dragging a silent exhausted Max along with him, he left with Biggs in tow.

When the adults had left, Ryan's concern tripled. 'I guess we should go home.' He shrugged, scratching the back of his neck nervously. He didn't move from the spot where he was standing in the middle of the room. He didn't want to make the first move, take the first step. The step towards Sara. His female, the mother of his son. Zeva would know he was worried if he rushed or showed he wanted to get out of here fast.

Cade smirked. 'In a hurry to see your Sara, are you?' He chuckled at the horrified look adorning Ryan's face. His friend was so cute sometimes. Beside him, Zeva sniggered.

'She's not my Sara. And, I want to go home because you promised me we'd play "Assassin's Creed 2" together. Have you realised you can't beat me so you want to make excuses to get away with it.' Glad that he had remembered Cade's challenge in time to save some of his esteem, he grinned at the annoying lovey-dovey couple.

'You're right, she isn't yours.' Zeva bitchfaced, giving Ryan a lethal glare. It was to her immense pleasure that he started squirming under her gaze as though he was nervous and uncomfortable. She could let this conversation go on, however she didn't want to put Sara at risk. According to her Dad, Sara needed extra protection today. 'We need to go and get Sara. Come on.' She led the way out as she heard the two males follow her, shoving and hissing at each other. She shook her head. Ryan was probably mad at Cade for calling him out on his worry.

Sara felt Ryan closeby before she saw him enter her room, accompanied by Cade and Zeva. 'Hey.' She smiled at them, getting up from her seat. 'What brings you all here?' She pointedly looked at Ryan before looking away.

'We need to go home. So, we came to get you.' Zeva hooked an arm around Sara's shoulders.

'But, I still have a bit of work to do. I need to crack this algorithm for tomorrow afternoon's meeting. It's an important database. Dix said...' Sara was cut off by Cade.

'Sara, you need to come with us. Dad said.' From the corner of his eye, Cade saw Ryan fidgeting and chewing on his nails. His brother only did that when he was feeling vulnerable or when his animal side was taking over his ability to think properly. Cade bumped his shoulder with Ryan to calm him. Last thing he needed was for his friend to get so anxious that he'd go all-out alpha over the safety of his female and kid. Sara wasn't making it easy though.

'But why?' Sara whined, feeling indignant all of a sudden. Yes, she knew she had made a lot of mistakes in life, had ruined Ryan's life in a lot of ways, made her parents ashamed, and her only friend judge her but she was not going to screw up in her job also. This was the only thing she had ever been good at. She couldn't live with knowing that she was a total screw-up, that she couldn't even do this right. She was not going to give Dix a reason to resent her and re-think mentoring her.

'A female from Scherzo has gone into heat. Daddy said there will be aggression around here so we should go home. Cade and I have done all the work we were given. I promise we'll help you finish tomorrow. Now, we need to leave.' Zeva softly explained their reasoning to her friend and smiled at her as she saw Sara's nod of acceptance.

Sara resigned herself to her fate. Maybe, she was supposed to be atotal screw-up. Reaching over to shut her computer, she sighed inwardly. Then she grabbed her half-eaten salad of lunch and threw it in the garbage can beside the table. Silently, she started making her way out of Command with the rest. Her hodded eyes never leaving Ryan's back as he walked a few steps ahead of her with Cade. The whole way to Cade's home, she remained silent because she didn't have anything to contribute to the conversation the other three were having. Zeva wanted to know what was meant by a female in heat and Cade and Ryan were explaining heat to her. She, herself, found the conversation enlightening because she didn't know either. Apparently, it was when a unmated female went into her instincts and looked for a mate. No male was safe from the persuasion of such a female but mated males could control their testosterone whereas unmated legit males became aggressive and fought for the chance to mate with the female.

'So, you want to mate with this female?' Zeva gasped and kicked Cade in the shins lightly, pouting.

'No, Ryan and I aren't affected right now because we haven't been able to smell her pheromones. She isn't in our pack territory. Chill, will ya?' Cade smirked at her cute pout. Gosh, she didn't know what she did to him with those innocent sulky looks. 'I think we both know only my angel can affect me anyway.' He winked at her, loving the way her mouth formed an _'O'_ as she blushed crimson.

A thought occured to Ryan, he didn't know whether to voice it or not. 'Zeva, Dad was saying our nation's females were cured of the problem so the second generation don't suffer but you're from Scherzo. So, you might go into heat.' He stated, bluntly.

Cade cursed and felt anger bubble inside him at the thought of Zeva needing anyone but him as mate. Seeing the terrified look marring her face, he tried to calm her. 'It's okay.' He comforted her, feebly.

'Cade, Ryan's right. What if I don't know what I am doing too. I don't want to go into heat.' Zeva felt like crying. Sara tried to comfort her by placing her hand on her shaking shoulder. But, how would she know. She was a female of Deania, not a survivor of a volcanic nation. No one knew. Why did everything bad always have to happen to her? Wasn't it enough, all the pain and suffering she'd been through. Someone incharge of the world didn't like her. She was sure of it.

Guilt swamped Ryan for making his sister upset. That hadn't been his intention. 'Zeva, the adults in the family will cure you. Just ask Max. I'm sure you'll be okay. Anyway, you have family males to protect you. Josh doesn't get affected at all. And, the females will know what to do. So, don't worry.' He patted her head, affectionately.

'Yeah, you'll be okay. I'm here.' Sara wrapped her arms around Zeva in an embrace.

Zeva squeezed Sara back in the hug. She was happy that she had such a sweetheart as a friend. Now if only the bull-headed Ryan could stop hurting the little girl and start showing her some love, it would be great. Everything would be perfect. She wanted her friends to be happy.

Two hours later saw Cade and Ryan sitting on the floor in front of the tele, game controllers in their hands and cussing at the screen as they played the latest videogame Cade had acquired. 'Fuck,nooo. Ryan, you're not allowed...hell, I'm gonna kill you...Ohh.' Cade huffed out, clicking away on the controller.

'Ha! You wish. Told you I rock. You can't beat me in videogames. Me equals the master.' Ryan laughed, taking a sip of the coke Zeva had handed him a few minutes ago. 'I win the bet so you're gonna have to pay up.' Oh yeah, this was a sweet deal alright. Seriously, he didn't know why Cade always bet on their games when he knew he always lost.

'I'm not a geek like you. No wonder all the chicks dig me. Who'd want a nerd?' Cade replied, haughtily.

'Whatever, jerk.' Ryan supplied, an angry frown carved in his forehead.

'Bitch.' Cade rolled his eyes and glued them back on the screen, once again trying to beat Ryan.

That night, Cade snuck into Zeva's bedroom at around midnight as he usually did whenever he slept with her in the past. He hoped she was going to allow him to continue sleeping with her now that they were on good terms. The only hint he'd gotten from her about her expectations was when she had offered him the massage in exchange of some information about alpha males. 'Zeva, are you awake?' He asked in a hushed tone, getting in the bed beside her. She didn't answer him or react so he moved closer to her ear and whispered. 'I know you're awake.' Adding a quick kiss on her ear for good measure, he lay back down to wait for her response.

Zeva turned around to face him. Sitting up, she tried to look annoyed at the invasion of her space. 'I am, now.' She glowered at him. 'Seriously, you could've let me sleep.' She muttered, pouting. Problem was that she didn't want to have to face Cade tonight. Having promised him a massage, she was trying to avoid him because she was nervous as hell at what might happen if she actually gave him that kind of touch.

In the dark of the room with only the moonlight's rays, Cade could see perfectly. Zeva's red cheeks, her tense body as well as her panicked blue eyes, he saw it all. She was clearly scared of the outcome of her promised massage so was trying to get away from doing it. 'Zeva, you promised me something. Have you forgotten, angel?' Cade smirked, a shit-eating grin splitting his face when he caught her gasp and disappointed look. 'Did you hope I'd forget?' Cade sprawled himself on the bed.

'But, Cade I'm…erm…you didn't even give me enough information.' Zeva tried to salvage the situation to her own advantage. 'I need more info. In the mean time, I'm going to go to sleep.' Turning back the other way, she lay back down on the bed though now she had less room to sleep on because of Cade being sprawled out on her bed like a big lazy cat.

'You wish.' Within seconds, Cade had her trapped underneath his body. And, he wasn't going to let her go until she fulfilled her promise. 'I'm not getting off you until I get what you promised.'

After trying to push his strong body off her little nervous limbs, Zeva gave up and agreed to give him the damn massage. 'I'm gonna kick your ass for forcing me to do physical favours for you, you asshole.' She slapped his back as she mounted it.

'I can see you're getting your how-to-treat-your-fav-alpha lessons from Mom.' He mused, which earned him another slap. 'Ow. I thought this was supposed to be pleasurable.' He complained.

Forty minutes later, Cade wasn't complaining anymore. He was doing quite the opposite. 'Mmm…' Cade couldn't stop his moans and purrs from being vocal. It wasn't his fault that he was being swamped by the most pleasurable feelings he'd ever experienced in his entire life. She was so unbelivingly good at this. 'I better be the only male to ever get this.' He ordered.

Zeva blushed at the blatant show of pleasure from Cade. She couldn't believe his guts for sprawling on the bed and demanding that she fulfill her promise of massaging him. She had thought he wouldn't push the issue. She couldn't be more wrong. In the end, she relented just to keep him from waking their pack up with his protests and whining. She had no choice but to oblige. She tended to her bruised ego by pretending to herself that she had only given in because she wasn't one to make false promises. Nonetheless, now that she thought about the reason of her current awkward position straddling Cade's ass whilst he was lying on his stomach, she couldn't deny her stupidity for offering him this kind of intimate contact for such a trivial piece of information. Surely, she would've found a solution for Sara's problem if she had done some research of her own.

'You want me to stop?' She asked, hoping he'd understand her real, internal dilemma. It wasn't like she wasn't happy to give him such pleasure, she enjoyed seeing him blissed-out like this. The reason she wanted to stop was linked to the animal side of her, something instinctive. Giving him touch increased her own need to receive touch. Knowing she couldn't ask him to give her what she needed, the next option was to stop giving touch to him so her own need would die away.

'Oh, hell no.' Cade opened his eyes a crack and turned his head on the pillow to peek at her. 'Are you tired?' Suddenly, it occurred to him that she'd been massaging him for about forty minutes so she must be tired.

'No. I'm not tired but I just…I want to sleep now.' She stroked his back lovingly one final time before leaning forward to place a chaste kiss on his left shoulder. She then got off her seat on his back.

Cade moved to allow her to lie down beside him before spooning himself with her. Nuzzling her neck he whispered to her. 'Thanks for the touch.' He chuckled at the double meaning of the word.

Zeva placed her arm on his arm which was circling her waist and linked her hand to his. Sighing contently at the contact, she shut her eyes. 'Tomorrow, I'm putting my plan into action. Ryan won't know what hit him.' She giggled. Within seconds, she was out but not before she heard Cade gasp in shock.

Cade watched Zeva sleeping and gulped visibly. If Ryan found out that he had helped Zeva just to get a massage, he'd kill him. Shit. He was gonna have to make sure Ryan didn't find out he had a part to play in screwing up his denial plans/status. He had bad feeling tomorrow was gonna be a long and tiring day. And, he wasn't going to like it one bit.

**A/N; Review and let me know if you are liking this and answer this question...**

**Would you want me to wrap up the story in a few chapters or are you willing to read about 8/10 more chapters? pls be truthful, because i can do either ...**


	32. Chapter 32

**A/N; As always, thanks to all the reviewers (i love you guys and send imaginary hugs from Ryan and Cade if you are girls and hugs from Zeva and Sara if you are boys)...and, also thanks to you lazy asses who don't review (yeah, you know who you are) for reading even if you can't be bothered to review...I asked you about chapters and thanks for letting me know your opinion but i can't say for sure, i just know that there is still some time to the end because my boys are still not ready and i am not ready to let them go yet...**

**Finally, to answer a question put to me by i think it was Yeldi, (who asked about the other 09ers, Max's brothers & sisters) Well, I think most died in series one and two and lets assume the ones who were alive perished in the seventeen years later so now all the other 09ers are dead. In passing, i have already mentioned vaguely Ben (high place bit). I didn't want to include many references because we all know Max is very tight-lipped and hides her thoughts/feelings most of the time. I don't think she'd talk much about them after so long. Anyway, my focus is on the very amusing teens cause it's more easier for me to write angst. I'm a sucker for that kinda thing...**

Chapter 32 –

Sara sighed loudly. She sat back, resting her aching shoulders against her cushioned chair and staring blankly at the computer screen in front of her. She shut her eyes momentarily to try to collect her thoughts and at least try to focus on the algorithm code she needed to crack for Dix for the afternoon meeting. She was grateful Zeva and Cade had followed through on their promise to help her. They were reading through the coded papers, sifting through the junk to retrieve the important information for her as they sat on the table nearby. Cade, sitting on the table and Zeva, sitting on a chair with her legs resting on the table. She looked over at them for a moment. Envious, that they looked so comfortable with each other unlike herself and Ryan. She quenched the thought immediately. Turning her attention back to her screen full of binary codes and numbers, she squinted hard and went back to working on solving the problem. One more barrier and the damn code would be hacked and she'd be able to get into the CIA's latest information. This new President of USA was really some piece of work. As a computer whizz, she could tell that a lot of money had been spent on changing the security of the defense agencies servers and computers, making it hard for her to hack into their databases and information files. Dix had no chance of hacking into their systems so he had left her to do the job, instead preparing reports on other defense agencies for the monthly defense meeting.

Mere minutes into her work, her thoughts strayed back on their earlier path. She huffed in annoyance. She didn't want to be thinking about her miserable existence. Now wasn't the time. She had work to do but her feelings of hurt, rejection and confusion wouldn't let her be. The scene of last night kept running through her mind. Ryan's cold stare and the way he had moved away from her when she tried to lie down beside him. Ryan had said he wanted to feel the baby whilst he slept. So, she had gotten rid of the pillow barrier because she thought that's what he meant when he said that he wanted to be close to their baby. Her hopeful deluded heart had told her, he wouldn't mind if she lay closer to him as her need for touch or some kind of human contact had been so strong. Of course, she had been wrong. Flinching away from her, he had quickly placed the pillows back in between their bodies and then turned his head away from her, telling her to go to sleep.

From the very start, deep down, she had known that she was never going to receive love or acceptance from the father of her son, her chosen alpha. But, that hadn't stopped her stupid naive heart wishing that was so. There had been a small glimmer of hope on her part that he might start loving her because of their baby. In hindsight, she really shouldn't have hoped for anything. It wasn't like Ryan had touched her that first time because he liked her. For him, she had been and still was someone he could fuck if he couldn't find someone else to do it with. It should've been enough for her that he loved their baby. However, it wasn't enough. Because, she loved him despite his apparent hate for her.

She really didn't know why he hated her so much. As far as she knew she had never done anything wrong to command hatred from him. Hate was a very strong emotion, she knew this from all her research on human and animal psychology. Logically, it wasn't possible for him to have such a strong emotion for her without caring about her. This had been the reason she had hoped he might care for her but Ryan seemed to be an exception to the rule. Now, she was sure he didn't like her in the slightest. He told the truth when he said he didn't care for her but just for their unborn son. She had analysed his negative feelings many times, had spent some nights awake trying to figure out her flaws and faults. Every time, she had been unable to come up with a concrete reason for his hatred. The only thing she had done wrong was, she got pregnant but that wasn't entirely her fault. In fact, he was more to blame. He had been the experienced one out of them, unlike herself. She hadn't known what was happening until it was too late. Still, she didn't think her pregnancy was a mistake. Her son could never be anything but the best thing that ever happened to her. Not having a pack for him pained her to the point that she felt her heart bleed every time he became unsettled because Ryan wasn't close to him. Already, she was dreading the day he would come into the world and realize his father and mother weren't together. She couldn't imagine how that would feel. Her parents had always been together and with her. The thought of not having both her parents around her hadn't ever occured to her, there was no need to think those scary thoughts.

She was truly sorry for Ryan. He may love their son but he hadn't wanted a child. Her not thinking her son to be a mistake didn't mean he thought the same. And, for these reasons she had tried so hard to show Ryan that she wasn't trying to ruin his life. Just to make up for cramping his style, she had let him hurt her feelings countless times without complaining about it. She believed that he had the right to break her heart because he owned it. He made no secret of disliking her and told her repeatedly he wasn't attracted to her, which hurt like not having her pack's scent around her hurt. It was a physical as well as an emotional pain. Really, she was at fault for thinking he'd forgive her for being pregnant if she let him be mean to her. She should've realized it sooner that she wasn't going to change his opinion of here. He wasn't going to be her mate. And, she should've left it at that. She should've tried to save her heart from further damage.

What confused her was his treatment of her. His dislike for her, couldn't explain why he always treated her so badly. He could just not bother with her at all since he claimed he didn't care anyway. However, that wasn't the case. For some time now, she had been putting up with his anger and harsh words. Didn't he feel bad for being mean to her? If she didn't deserve his love, then she didn't deserve his voiced hatred either. She was sure of this much. 'There must be a reason.' She exhaled sharply and nodded to herself in agreement to this thought.

'What?' Zeva and Cade both asked simultaneously and then looked at each other before they burst out laughing.

Coming out of her thoughts, Sara started. She looked at her laughing friends. Well, she wasn't sure if Cade was her friend. He probably hated her just like Ryan did. After all, he loved Ryan so he must agree with him. 'What?' She was unsure of why they were laughing.

'You said 'there must be a reason'. A reason for what?' Cade clarified, raising an eyebrow as he smirked at Zeva as she was still laughing, clutching her stomach. Amused, Cade nudged Zeva's legs eliciting a furious squeak from her. She kicked his hands away, blushing at the contact.

Sara's eyes widened in horror. Oh damn. Did she say that out loud? She should be more careful of what she thought about around others. She might say something she shouldn't if she didn't stop her stupid thoughts. Although Zeva was her close friend and confidante, she still didn't tell her everything. She didn't tell anyone everything. Also, Cade was amongst them so she couldn't say anything about Ryan. Not that she would ever bad-mouth him anyway. 'Oh, n-nothing. I was just talking about the code.' Looking back at the screen unblinkingly, she bit her lip to fight the sudden urge she felt to cry.

Zeva saw through the lie. She could tell her friend had been thinking about Ryan again. Whenever Sara became flustered and tight-lipped, it always had something to do with the hot-headed alpha. 'Sara, what did Ryan say to you? Why were you two ignoring each other this morning? Ryan has something stuck up his ass all the time lately but you still put up with his shit. But, today, he didn't even yell at you and you didn't even look at him. What's up?' Zeva inquired of her friend. She heard Cade's scoff. She glanced at him and narrowed her eyes in warning.

Cade couldn't help but feel irritated. He already knew why Ryan had been avoiding Sara. He didn't want to be listening to this. He could tell Sara didn't want to talk about it either. He really felt sorry for Sara that she had to put up with Ryan, the stupid-ass who didn't have the guts to tell her why he couldn't stand being around her.

**_Nearly two hrs earlier..._**

'What the fuck's wrong with you two?' Cade whispered, punching Ryan lightly on the shoulder as they walked a little way behind Zeva and Sara.

'What?' Ryan questioned back, feigning ignorance.

'You didn't yell at Sara today and she seems to be trying to avoid you too. Did somat happen? You didn't say something really bad, did you?' Cade bitched in a huffy whisper as he pulled Ryan to a stop. 'Zeva, Sara, you go ahead. I'll catch up to you. I know where the computer rooms are.' He shouted at the girls. They nodded in acceptance and resumed walking towards the Command building. When he was sure his voice won't be carried to them, he glared at Ryan and demanded. 'Tell me, damn it. You look like shit. I hate seeing you like this. What the fuck happened to make you look like someone died?'

'I think I screwed up big time.' Ryan replied, quietly. 'I won't be surprised if Sara never talks to me again.' He added.

'What did you do now?' Cade hooked his arm around Ryan's hunched shoulders in comfort.

'Last night, I told her I wanted to feel the baby whilst I slept. I just told her cause sometimes I wake up at night and she's sleeping. And, I get the urge to touch him so I thought I'd tell her in case she took it to mean something else. I think she thought I meant I wanted to feel the baby then. So, she removed the pillows from between us and moved closer to me.' Ryan swallowed hard, remembering what had happened next.

'So?' Cade could tell talking about the incident was hard for his brother. He thumped his brother's chest in encouragement.

'I kinda made it seem I didn't want her to be close to me. I re-made the pillow barrier and turned away from her, telling her to sleep. I saw her look at me with hurt eyes and I could smell her silent tears when I turned away. I always say such bad things to her but she's never before looked at me the way she did last night. Honestly, it was as though all the light in her eyes went out.' Ryan felt exposed. His raw emotions were too close to surface. He saw Cade's disappointed expression and knew he had been right. This time, he had crossed the line regarding Sara.

'What the fuck did you do that for? Or should I say, congratulations on succeeding in killing off any hope the girl might've had of being your mate? You did good then.' Cade said, sarcastically and rolled his eyes.

'Shut up. I know I shouldn't be such a bastard to her. I just can't help it most of the time. It must be my awesome luck. I know full well that it doesn't mean that if I'm not going to mate her I can disrepect her. She's still the mother of my kid. If nothing else, she deserves my respect. But, I still manage to hurt her repeatedly without fail.' Ryan muttered.

'Thank Biggs, you realize that.' Cade scoffed. Having his curiousity peaked, he asked, 'What made you, Ryan, the lady-killer, turn away from a gorgeous girl wanting to cuddle?'

'I fucking had a boner, that's what. I couldn't possibly let her get close to me. If I had touched her then, I would've definitely jumped her. It seems that's all I fucking think about when I'm around her.' Ryan was red-faced. He was beginning to hate himself for holding a talk-about-fucking-everything reputation with Cade. It was this very reputation which always made his brother ask million questions from him.

Cade smirked. 'It wouldn't have been the first time. I'm sure she would understand if you told her you were horny for her. I don't know why you're fighting your feelings. I'll be happy when you fucking tell her you wanna mate her.'

'I don't wanna mate her. And, like fuck I'll tell her anything. Anyway, Dad said he will personally kill me if I touch her in that way.' Ryan couldn't help the frustration from bleeding into his tone. 'Dad's right. I shouldn't touch her like that if I'm not going to mate her. Fuck, I hate myself. I should've told her why I couldn't let her sleep so close to me. She might not let me touch her at all now.' Ryan moved out of Cade's half-embrace and fell on the sand, lying down and letting the feeling of guilt and sadness overcome his being.

'After what happened, I don't blame her.' Cade sighed as he held out his hand to pull Ryan to his feet so they could go to Command.

_**Now...**_

'Zeva, why don't you let Sara concentrate on the code.' Cade cleared his throat and widened his eyes at Zeva, shaking his head. He tried to hint at his lady-love that this wasn't the time or place for a sad conversation which would most definitely include tears and wailing from a heartbroken female. No, thanks. He'd pass on it. He was a strong alpha but he wasn't immune to the effects that kind of chick flick moment had.

Zeva was confused by Cade's lousy attempt at sign language. The only thing which was clear was that he wanted to change the topic because he didn't want to talk about Ryan. 'Sara, how far have you gotten? I'm nearly finished with these papers.' She decided to ease the tension in the air.

'This is the last wall I need to break before I'm granted access. It's really hard. It's advanced technology. I've never really seen anything like it.' Sara admitted, glad that they were back onto a safe subject.

Cade got up from where he was sitting beside Zeva's sexy leather-clad legs and trudged across to stand beside Sara. 'I'm not exactly great with coding and stuff like you are but I do a bit of computer programming to tweak some of my software and videogames. Let me take a look at this. See, if I can help.' He grabbed a chair and planted it next to Sara's. Taking a seat, he noticed Sara was looking at him with a look of awe and gratitude marring her face. Momentarily, he was taken aback by her. If he'd had a doubt before of whether she was suitable for his brother, he didn't anymore. She was probably the most awesome female outside family he'd ever had the fortune of knowing. She was the perfect addition to their ever-expanding family.

An hour of computer hacking later, Cade and Sara had the code cracked and were reading through the various information streams. Zeva had left a few minutes earlier to grab their lunch for them and wasn't back yet.

Sara smiled shyly at Cade. 'Thank you for helping me with this work.'

'No problem. It was my pleasure, kiddo.' Cade winked, grinning stupidly. Belatedly, he realized she was nervous. It was the first time they were alone in a room together. And, he was a strange male. So, it was understandable. Although she was his nephew's mum, she still wasn't part of his family as Ryan hadn't mated her. Cade rushed to make her feel comfortable. It just didn't bode well with him that she should feel scared or nervous around him. 'Relax, Sara. I know your instincts are telling you otherwise but I'm family. You don't need to be scared, okay?'

Sara nodded, feeling relief wash over her. Her human side knew for sure that Cade wasn't a threat of any sort but her animal instincts, which were always on edge due to her pregnancy, had gone into over-drive when her focus wasn't on the code anymore. 'It's just the pregnancy hormones...erm...but you don't want to hear that.' Silence fell on the room following her statement.

Cade hated silence. Especially, silence where it became crucial to break it. So, he tried. 'How's things going with Ryan?' It was an awful question. But, ah well, he couldn't think of any other ice-breakers. He really wasn't cut out for talking this emo crap with pretty little girls.

'You know, Cade. You know how it is. I realize how he feels about me. It's okay, really. I don't mind if he doesn't like me. I just wish he can be happy and not angry all the time. I already said sorry to him. I didn't mean to change his life or anything. I thought I was going to die...' She wiped the stray tear that fell from her left eye. She felt concious all of a sudden that she shouldn't be telling him anything. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell...erm...just forget it. Erm, I am really happy that you have made up with Zeva. Cade, you're nothing like what all the other girls of the Deania say about you. I don't know how it feels to have a brother because I don't have one. But, if I did, I would want him to be just like you. You are awesome.'

Ah, fuck. Cade tried to swallow past the lump in his throat. No female had ever said something so sweet to him, ever. Shit, she was going to make him cry. 'Sara, I'm really not that awesome.' He managed to croak out.

'You are. Despite the fact that your brother, best friend doesn't like me, you still helped me in my work. And, you always try to make Ryan treat me good.' Sara insisted, her eyes shining and a small smile on her lips.

'He doesn't listen though.' Cade said, feeling ashamed for not trying enough.

'You still try. It's the thought that counts.' Sara petted his arm.

It occurred to Cade that she must be craving touch and exchanging scents because under normal circumstances no female touched another male as a pack member unless she hadn't had pack contact or any human contact for too long. He was going to have to talk to Ryan about this. Or maybe, Zeva was right. Ryan should be taught a lesson. It would be funny to see how his brother reacted to smelling some other male's scent on his female. All there was left to do was, call in a favour from one of the strange alpha males. It could be arranged. It was time, the sweet little girl smiling at him recieved some care and attention she deserved.


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N; I only got 3 reviews for last chapter which makes me wonder if all my regular readers read it...so, pls before you read this chapter click back and check because last chapter is the build-up to this chapter... Thanks to those 3 who did review and all the other readers...this chapter is extra long to make up for posting late...**

**AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT I NEED TO MAKE IS THAT I HAVE FINALLY FOUND PICTURES OF WHAT I THINK CADE, ZEVA, RYAN AND SARA WOULD LOOK LIKE AT THE AGE OF 19/20 (couldn't find any younger ppl who would match my imagination of how they look like) SO CHECK MY PROFILE FOR THE LINK TO THE PHOTOS IF YOU WANT TO SEE THOUGH YOU DON'T HAVE TO IF YOU ARE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU IMAGINE YOURSELF...**

Chapter 33 –

In turn, Max looked at the transgenics sat around the huge table in the meeting room. Mole, Biggs, Cece, Dix, Sykes, Dalton, Rex and Suri were all seated in their usual places, their usual expressions adorning their strikingly different faces. Alec, her mate and second-in-command was sitting beside her at his rightful place. 'So...' She cleared her throat rather loudly to get everyone to shut up and pay attention to her. When she had everyone's undivided attention, she started in an authoritative manner. 'First of all, I think Cade, Ryan and Zeva should attend this meeting too. So, Cece, will you please call Ryan and tell him that I want them all here now.' She pointedly gazed at Cece, who was already waiting for Ryan to pick up even before Max was finished with her request. Having made sure that Cece had called the kids, she picked up the file that was in front of her on the table. She recalled it was the file Dix had placed there on his arrival in the room. This only meant one thing. This was the all-important file of information on USA's defence projects and other current interests. Consciously, she brushed her leg against Alec's for comfort and then opened the file, starting to skim through the info there. 'Dix, have you read this?' She asked, frowning at the second page's contents.

'No, I didn't get a chance.' Dix admitted, talking in an enthusiastically high-pitched voice. He gave a smile or what was his best impression of a smile to his fellow transgenics, nodding energetically like the hyper-cyberpunk that he was. This behaviour was expected of him as it was normal for him to be like this. He was a hyper creature. Everyone knew that.

Ryan walked into the meeting room and found himself being stared at by ten high ranking adult transgenics, including his Mom and Dad. 'Erm, hey. Cade and Zeva were in the computer rooms, that's why it took us a little long to get here.' He turned around to look behind himself, to see his friends following him in the room, but they were nowhere to be seen. Seriously, they were going to be the death of him. Now, Max would throw a tantrum about him not doing any job properly. He was sure they had been behind him just seconds ago. He'd been talking to Cade a minute ago. Why did they not just hurry up? Probably making-out in the hallway, he snorted at this thought. What else could be taking them so damn long. 'They should be here any minute.' Avoiding all the intense-glaring-one-way-or-another eyes which were trained on him, he quickly moved to the vacant chair beside Suri and sat down. The female defence strategist turned her little head his way, just glaring at him for a good minute and then huffed in apparent annoyance before returning her eyes to Max. Ryan was about to voice his disapproval when Cade, the nation's very own golden boy marched in with Zeva walking beside him at arm's length. 'Cade, what...'

Cade cut Ryan off, smirking. 'Yeah, I know. Sorry guys, we took longer than we should have but it couldn't be helped. Rio had a bit of an emergency with the videogame he was playing. He was pacing a hole in the common room asking everyone and anyone for help. And, Zeva couldn't refuse so she forced me to help him since she isn't exactly any good at games herself.' That earned him a smack upside his head by a furious, red-faced Zeva. 'What? It's true. You're rubbish. Ow.' He grinned despite being slapped again, this time on his back.

'Okay, that's enough kids. Sit down. I wanna start this meeting.' Max was amused by her kids' behaviour and wouldn't have minded observing their antics in another situation but she had other pressing matters to deal with and so did all the attendees of the meeting. This wasn't a place for teenage love and bickering, it was a meeting room damnit. After Cade and Zeva had taken their seats beside Ryan, she began her questioning again. 'Dix, you say you haven't read this information, why's that?' She sat back in her chair, still holding the file in her hands.

Dix leaned forward in his chair, resting it on the two front legs rather than all fours. 'Well, I tried to get through their security walls to get to this info but it seems they have upgraded it. It's more secure. I couldn't hack into the files. So, I asked Sara if she could hack into the system and she said she could if she had enough time. I decided to let her have a go. She's amazing with computers, that kid.' Dix said, pride dripping in his tone.

'Yeah, she is.' Cade agreed. 'Mom, Sara doesn't get paid to work at Command, does she?' Recieving a negative shake of head to confirm his belief, Cade nodded in thought. 'She should. She worked really hard to get this information out in time for this meeting. She deserves to be treated like a proper worker. I expect her to be paid for her work from now on.' He demanded. He was passionate about justice, always had been. At the moment, the only transgenic who was comanding any thoughts of sympathy and justice from him was Sara. That girl had it hard. Life wasn't being fair to her and she deserved something for the effort she put into things despite her own problems. Feeling a small pressure on his thigh, he dropped his gaze to the spot to find Zeva's hand squeezing his thigh. Meeting her eyes, he got her message loud and clear that she was grateful for what he had said about Sara. It was amazing how attached the girls had become to each other in such a short time. They were like sisters. Their bond seemed to be as strong as his was with Ryan. Placing his hand on Zeva's hand, he smirked at her causing her to look away, blushing.

'Cade, that is a great idea. I'll have the finance department add her name to the list of workers here.' Truth be told, Alec hadn't expected Cade to take an active part in the meeting or any other work at Command. Hence, the reason why he'd been against Cade coming to work for their government but he was being proven wrong by the kid himself. His son was showing an interest in his work and already wanting changes to be made as to how Command was run. Alec was impressed.

'Right, can we get back to the contents of this folder.' Not waiting for anyone to answer because she wasn't really asking anyone's permission or opinion, Max started summarising the report. 'I've read through the information and there's bad news. According to the recorded minutes transcripts of meetings held between the USA Chief of staff, the FBI Director, the CIA director and the new USA president, a military invasion is being planned. And, when I say an invasion I don't mean a one-or-two-country-invasion. There are outlines of plans to invade North Korea, Cuba and Iran.' Max couldn't help the snigger that escaped her. Seriously, the government who was responsible for her species still hadn't learned from their mistakes. It seemed they never would. Trying to control everyone. Power being their sole purpose, not the improvement of their nation.

'Are you serious? They're freaking going after countries in different continents now. North Korea and Iran have nuclear weapons. What are they thinking?' Mole grunted around his cigar, spirals of smoke leaving his lizard mouth.

'They go after everyone.' Rex replied. He hated the country who had made him, had made Ney. The same bastards who had spent millions of dollars to make them had killed his mate Ney, leaving him alone in this world to suffer forever. If it wasn't for Biggs and Cece, he'd have been dead too. It would've been less painful that way. Suri patted him on his arm. Everyone in their generation knew of loss and pain so they understood when another one of their kind spoke of those times without being blunt about it.

'Australia won't be under threat as their government have very good relations with the US.' Cece waited for Max's affirmation with abated breath, not wanting to curse her happiness by thinking of ill morbid thoughts. She was happy here, with this life. Didn't want to lose something so precious to her.

'Suri, what do you think?' Max asked her defence strategist as she was unsure as to what she should make of the info.

'Cuba will be easy to invade, won't be another bay of pigs fiasco. But, if they try to invade either North Korea or Iran, even if it's one country, still the entire world will be affected. America will need to use all their military installations to operate from. This means using their bases in nearly all the continents and major nations around the world, including their base in Australia. And, those countries they want to invade will put up a hell of a fight. We're talking a nuclear war where other countries will get involved. I'll have to go over their actual plans but I can predict with an estimated 80.5 percent certainty of a world war. This president, you told me he doesn't like us. So, he might decide to invade us whilst everyone's under pressure and not paying attention to acts against humanity. The human rights organisation won't be able to save us. It will be too late by then. Whatever we do, we have to do now to save our nation.' Suri said all she wanted and needed to say in one breath. She wasn't a databases analyst, an army strategist, and a probabilities calculator all rolled into one small beautiful but lethal package for nothing after all. She did her job without hesitation although she knew sometimes what she said was the last thing others wanted to hear. That's why she'd been chosen over that nerd Levi to head this field in Deania.

Alec frowned. He knew what this meant. He was going to have to perform his role of highest ranking military commander. Situations where he had to perform this duty were not rare. However, that was in the past. He hadn't issued serious military orders or commands for over a decade now. He wasn't looking forward to it now. 'I'll discuss our military position and border security with Suri, Mole and Biggs, once we've all had a chance to study the reports. Suri, I will have various strategies and battle plans sent to you by tommorrow and I want you to go over them, doing your thing on them and after two days at 0900, we will hold a meeting for military measures we need to take. Sykes and Rex, I want you to find and deal with some korean weapons dealers I'll send you the details on. Dalton, send more soldiers out to the border because the security needs to be doubled and don't forget ocean patrol teams as well. Max, do you have anything to add?' He sighed deeply.

'Alec, this is a military issue which is your forte. I don't need to add anything other than, everyone please keep this meeting to yourself as always and if you guys need any help from me in anything you know where to find me. You're all dismissed.' Max got up, handing the files to Alec for him to handle. 'Cece, in my office, I need to talk to you.' She needed to discuss a human rights document. Seeing Cece acknowledge with a nod, she left.

Ryan, Cade and Zeva were about to leave the meeting room when Cece stopped them. The old female transgenic held her arm out to block off their exit. 'I want you kids to go to school and pick up your sisters. It's nearly their time. I'll be here so I can't go myself.'

'They're old enough to come alone.' Ryan muttered under his breath. He loved his sisters but there was no need to spoil them.

'Ryan!' Cece warned, glaring at her eldest. 'I normally don't allow them to go outside territory unaccompanied, you know that. And, now after listening to the dangers, it's impossible.' She crossed her arms above her chest, challenging them silently to disagree.

'Do we have to babysit them as well?' Ryan threw his hands in the air and rolled his eyes to show his surrender. His Mom's lips twitched at him, which ticked him off. She was trying to get on his nerves. Didn't she know he had delicate nerves, damnit?

'Take them to Joshua's. Max and I will pick them up later.' Cece ordered, then turned to leave with a 'Don't be late for them.' thrown behind her.

'I'll stay back and come home with Sara when she's finished.' Zeva told the boys in the hallway, heading in the direction of the computer rooms.

'Wait, Zeva.' Cade caught up to her, running. 'I've made arrangements for Sara to get some strange male's scent. I'll text him to give him the go ahead once we're well clear of the building. He works here. He knows what to do. He won't touch her so don't worry.' He whispered in Zeva's ear in a low voice so Ryan couldn't hear from the other end of the hallway. 'Ok, I should go now. Meet us at Ryan's.' Zeva grabbed him in a tight hug as he turned to head back to his brother.

'Thanks, Cade.' Zeva was so thankful she had Cade on their side. Ryan had no chance now. She quickly pecked him on his surprised mouth before running off to her friend to tell her of the good news.

Cade and Ryan went straight to their youngest sisters' school, picking them up before heading to meet up with Kyla. She didn't seem much happy to see one of her brothers though, ignoring Ryan mostly as she discussed something with Lima. Cade felt sorry for Ryan. His brother was telling the truth when he said he was having a shitty time in life at the moment. Dropping their chirpy sisters off at Joshua's, the big guy who thought four little kitty-humans launching themselves at him so he fell to the ground with those four kitty-humans bouncing on him and giggling was a great way to get greeted, the boys went home to spend their time hanging out together. They hadn't hung out for ages.

Sara was feeling sick and nervous. Zeva had come in five minutes ago and had told her of Cade's arrangement. Now, she was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the dreaded strange male whose scent she would have to be surrounded by. She didn't like that she had to do this. Had never had any scent other than her pack's or Ryan's pack's touch her. Ryan's pack's scent was familiar to her because of him being the father of her baby so sharing her baby's scent. That was why she hadn't found it a problem to move in with him and his family. But, she wouldn't be comfortable with whoever this guy would be.

Seven minutes later, she knew who had been given the job. As Seb walked in, fidgeting, she couldn't help the roll of her eyes. Seb was a X6, who had a lot of mouse and bat in his cocktail. She knew him from some work he had helped Dix with. 'Seb!' She bit her lower lip to stop her laugh which was bubbling up. Gosh, Cade was such a typical alpha. He had chosen the most non-threatening un-mated male in the whole of Deania, she was sure. It was genius how he had chosen someone who wouldn't make him go all-out alpha himself at the thought but make Ryan mad if he smelt Seb on her because he wouldn't know which male the scent belongs to.

Zeva saw the non-threatening mousey transgenic and burst out laughing. Cade was hilarious. 'Cade told you what you have to do?' She managed to croak out before succumbing to more hysterical giggling.

Seb knew why the girls were laughing. He would have joined them, had it not been that they were laughing at his expense. 'Yeah. Here, Sara. Just rub this sweatshirt on your clothes so the scent gets transferred. Cade said I'm not to touch you so I'll leave this here. You can throw it or burn it afterwards. I better get going. Can you not give my name to Ryan. I don't want him to kill me.' He visibly shuddered at the thought of having his neck snapped by a strong male alpha of the X5 generation, in his animal instincts. They were the most dangerous series ever built. And the most perfect, he admitted in his mind, rather wistfully.

Later on, when the girls feel they have given the boys enough time alone, they head to Ryan's home which is Sara's current place of residence. They find Cade and Ryan playing and cursing a videogame. 'Hey' They squeak, simultaneously. Zeva sounding stronger than the terrified-looking Sara.

Zeva saw Cade give her a pointed look, inquiring silently. She nodded with a grin, biting back laughter as she remembered the feeble X6. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sara staring down at the floor as she chewed on her lip. She looked ready to faint. Zeva moved closer to her, incase that was to happen.

The awkward silence and meaningful glances at Zeva and Sara's entrance clued Ryan to the fact that something was off. He paused the videogame and stood. Getting closer to Sara with the intention to ask her, he was infuriated to find a strange male's scent coming from Sara. What the fuck? Alarm bells started ringing in his head and he thought he was going to explode. 'What...why...you smell of another male, a strange male.' He growled. Sara didn't reply, she just shrugged which pissed him off further. 'Who touched you? I wanna, no scratch that, I need to know his name.' He gritted his teeth in anger.

'It's none of your business.' Sara repeated the phrase Zeva had told her to use. This better work.

Steam was coming out of Ryan's ears and he was as red-faced as though he had run a marathon. He looked akin to a bull. A very mad bull. Cade noted all this in amusement, a part of him feeling bad for his brother. He caught Zeva glance towards him, looking worried. He winked and smirked, glowing his eyes at her, to reassure her that this behaviour of Ryan's was expected and welcomed.

'Wh-what?' Ryan stuttered. He couldn't believe it that she'd said that to him. She never said things like that. Recovering fast from that particular blow to his ego and pride, he glared at her. 'It is my fucking business. You are carrying my son. I don't want my son to be uncomfortable. He wouldn't like to be surrounded by a strange male's scent.' He was satisfied with the excuse he came up with for his reaction, in such a short time. He was having to think fast here. The hike in his testosterone levels wasn't helping. His mind was clouding up, making him unable to think straight. All he knew was, he wanted that scent off her and his scent on her immediately.

Sara sighed and shrugged again, feigning nonchalance. 'He has to get familiar with other male scents anyway. I will have to mate one day. Since it can't be you as you say, then he has to be able to live with other unfamiliar male scents.' She tried to sound convincing and genuine.

'Like hell I'll let him near another male. You seem to have this all planned out. Making all his decisions for him already despite him not even being in this world yet. I need to correct this misconception of yours though and show you whose going to call the shots here.' With that said, Ryan grabbed hold of Sara's arm, roughly and started to take her upstairs, nearly dragging her behind him. He stopped at the base of the staircase and waved to his friends. 'Cade, Zeva, you're welcome to stay for as long as you want. When you leave, shut the door behind you.' Then he resumed up the stairs with Sara.

There was no point in staying. Cade guided Zeva outside the house after switching the videogames off, knowing Ryan wouldn't be playing or coming down any time soon. Clicking the door shut, he started walking beside the concerned-looking Zeva down the path to their own home. 'You look worried.' He noted.

'Ryan might hurt Sara. He's so angry and he threatened her. We shouldn't have left.' Zeva whined, sulking. 'The plan failed. So much for thinking he'd confess. I should've known. The stubborn asshole. Just like you.' She pouted.

Cade leaned forward and kissed Zeva on the head. 'Stop blaming me for this. Anyway, I think it worked to some extent. Trust me, he's going to be doing anything but hurting her.' Catching her confused expression, he clarified. 'He's just going to show her how he wants things. You know. Like making sure she knows who she belongs to and who she can exchange scents with. It won't involve pain but maybe a lot of pleasure.' He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, earning a playful shove from a blushing Zeva.

Ryan pitched Sara forward onto their shared bed once they got to his bedroom. Turning back to lock his door, he caught the shocked expression on her face before she hid her face in the pillow. His pillow, he noted in satisfaction. He stood watching her curled body for a moment before crawling on the bed. Uncurling her and forcing her to look at him, he pinned her to the bed. Her wide eyes trying to look anywhere but him wasn't lost on him. He started to strip as he straddled her thighs. After he was as naked as he'd been on the day of his birth, he started undressing her. Unlike his own rushed undressing, he took his time with her. She wasn't making it easy on him though as she started to struggle.

'Ryan, what are y-you d-doing?' Sara asked, not really wanting to hear his answer. It was quite obvious what he was doing. She'd be lying if she said she didn't want this, want him. But, this was wrong. He was only doing this because of his male pride and ego. That was the only explanation for his anger, for this. He couldn't be doing this out of love or the need to mark her. He would've confessed if that was so. Zeva had told her this. And, anyway she didn't need anyone else's assessment to see the dark glint in Ryan's eyes. A glint of a mad man. 'Please, Ryan. Don't do this. Why are you...Please, stop.' She pleaded, her plea falling on deaf ears.

Ryan was operating on his instincts. Refusing to listen to anything Sara said, he started to kiss her and lick her. The only thing that kept repeating in his mind like a chant was _Mine_. This was all he let himself listen to as he spent the next twenty or more minutes making her his, proving the animal inside him right. Licking, kissing and rubbing every inch of her flesh before finally taking her, completing the act with a satisfied smile on his face, he pulled out of her.

He only came to his senses and out of his instincts, when Sara curled up again, this time on her side of the bed, and he noticed she was sobbing. Mournfully, he watched her, not knowing what to do, how to comfort her. Realizing too late what he'd done in his anger, he exhaled sharply. He was no better than a monster. She had told him to stop but he had lost control. He was a rapist. God, he hated himself. He had crossed the line, hurting her in a way he hadn't imagined himself capable of doing so. Reaching his hand out to her, he stroked her upper-arm gently to comfort her and to lessen his guilt a little. She flinched away from his touch. Hurt by her show of rejection but understanding the reasons, he growled low in his throat in his misery. Giving up, he got up off the bed and dressed, silently. Eyes still watching her. Standing still for many long minutes hoping she would move, he was disappointed that she didn't. Sighing and brushing the stray tears that were now falling from his eyes, he picked up the clothes she had been wearing, the clothes with the strange scent, wanting to take them to wash or throw away and left with one final backward glance.

Hearing Ryan leave, Sara peeked at the door. Sitting up, she noticed her clothes were missing. Feeling another wave of tears threatening to overcome her, she walked to the dresser and opened the drawer Ryan had allowed her to use as hers, grabbing the first top and jeans that came in her grasp. She went into the bathroom and dressed, feeling tired and sick. The feeling wasn't something physical, rather emotional. She was sick and tired of being treated like her feelings held no importance. Ryan hadn't stopped even when she had told him to, so many times. Her heart that belonged to him argued that he did it because of he felt something for her. She was sure that wasn't the case however. She was naive sometimes but she wasn't stupid. Whilst having sex with her, he had kept up his threats and orders, with a lithany of curses colouring his words. He had made it quite clear why he was 'fucking' her as he put it. He told her he was doing it for his son because he didn't want him to have any other male's scent near him and though he could just rub his scent on her for the task, he wanted to punish her so this was her punishment for letting someone else touch her. She had wanted to deny the accusation because Seb hadn't touched her but she had stopped pleading by then. He hadn't hurt her physically, which had been her initial thought when he had dragged her up here. Nevertheless, he'd done something worse. Now, she wished he had hit her instead of this, reducing her to a meaningless 'fuck'. Hearing him repeat his love for their baby, only the baby, had brought on her tears. She couldn't help it. It hurt to know that when Ryan had been touching, kissing or doing those other things to her, it was because he wanted to prove a point, make her realize that he was the one who was incharge of their weird non-existent relationship. That this, everything, was about the baby. She'd been a fool to think otherwise, that maybe she mattered too.

Sara remained in the bedroom until Kyla and Lyla came to get her for dinner. Entering the room behind the over-excited girls, she saw her parents were there. Rushing forward, she embraced her Mommy in a tight hug. 'Mommy...' Her voice broke. Too late, she tried to hold back her tears.

Her Mommy pulled away from her, peering at her face closely. 'Baby, what's wrong...are you okay? You look flushed.' She asked, looking worried.

Sara nodded, trying her best to smile. 'I'm just happy to see you.' She nuzzled her mother's neck to get much-needed comfort. Pulling away, she cast an apologetic hopeful gaze at her father. Since her pregnancy, things hadn't been the same between them. 'Daddy.' She moved close to him, within his arm's reach so he could pull her in a hug if he wanted to. To her relief, he did. He nuzzled her neck and kissed her head.

'He, treating you okay?' He raised an eyebrow in inquiry. She knew who the 'he' was. She nodded, still trying her best to smile.

It was an evening full of fake smiles from her as she tried to go through dinner without anyone noticing she was playing with her food rather than eating it. Wasn't her fault that she had no appetite. The male you love deciding to treat you like a cheap whore could do that to a person. Thankfully, she managed to keep a lid on her feelings for a few hours. When everyone moved to the living room with the intention to watch a movie or talk about random happenings, she decided she'd acted enough for a day or maybe a lifetime. 'I'm tired. I'm going to go to sleep.' She hugged her parents and made her way to the bedroom, still smiling incase someone saw.

Once up, she made a dash to the bathroom. Back to the closed door, she burst into tears of anguish. She hated feeling like this and what was worse was, she couldn't talk about this to anyone, not even Zeva. No one could understand her pain, her suffering. Robotically, she took a shower and got ready for bed. Feeling drained, more tonight than any other night, she got in bed and tried to sleep because sleep made all the pain and the bad thoughts go away. Lady luck wasn't shining down on her tonight however, she couldn't get rid of the pain as sleep eluded her.

After tossing and turning for ages, she huffed out and gave up. Setting her mind on a new task now. To keep her ears on the hallway's noises in order to pick up on Ryan's arrival. He didn't stay down too long. Exactly seventy minutes after she had laid down in bed, he came in the room. She'd heard him though he'd been quiet. Pretending to sleep, she changed her breathing to what was her sleeping pattern and kept her eyes closed. She felt his eyes on her for a few minutes before he went to the bathroom. Normally, he made the pillow barrier but tonight she'd done it to let him know, if he wanted to know, that she was hurt by his actions. Though, she doubted he'd care even if he knew.

Mere minutes later, she felt him get in bed. As usual her stupid heart rate sped up. A little movement later, she felt the pillow barrier brush against her body. She realized he had removed it. Before she had a chance to think about this properly and control her reaction, she felt a strong arm pull her in an embrace and then a whispered murmur, 'I wish I had the guts to tell you how much I love you.' In her shock, she nearly gave her wakefulness away when she nearly gasped at his confession. Bitting down on her lip just in time, she was glad he didn't notice her thumping heart or the stutter in her breath for a moment. She knew that he was oblivious to the fact that she was awake because moments later, he gave her a featherlight kiss on her head. He had never kissed her there before because that was the place you kissed someone you cared about.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34 –

The main hallway of the fifth floor of the Command building was empty and dark. Only the humming of the air conditioner and a small thumping sound, which came from a room far off at the end of the long passage in the hallway, broke the silence that was otherwise present throughout the floor. A small sliver of bright light escaped from the door that led to the only room on the floor. Due to its small door, it appeared as though the room was a small storage closet but in truth the small entrance opened up to a huge gymnasium/training hall that covered the entire fifth floor. Possibly the largest room in the Command building, if not all the buildings in Deania.

Suddenly, a squeak broke the eerie atmosphere that hung in the air, slicing the silence with a carved knife. A furious masculine voice resonated from the room and drifted in the empty dark hallway. 'Ow, not like that. Wait, I'll show you how.' The voice was followed closely by a girly giggle. And, the thumping sounds started again.

Cade went through the whole routine for the umpteenth time. Coming to a stand still on the matt, he crossed his arms over his chest and raised his eyebrow. 'Right, the combination of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes I've been trying to teach you and have demonstrated to you for about a trillion times already...' He stopped and rolled his eyes, sarcastically to emphasize his point, '...they belong to the 'Muay Thai Kickboxing' discipline of martial arts. As you can probably tell, it originates in Thailand and it is also known as 'Art of eight limbs'. I think I should start off teaching you this rather than going straight into the complex dicsipline of 'Ninjutsu'. You're not ready for that yet.' Cade said in an authoritative tone. 'Come to think of it, you don't seem ready for anything.' He murmured, low. He tried to keep his facial expression as blank as he possibly could but Zeva was giving him a shit-eating grin. 'What are you grinning for?' He asked, slightly pissed off. She was supposed to be acting like a good student, not an amused, mocking, giggling girl, damnit.

'You look so cute when you are giving out orders.' Zeva smirked as she fluttered her eyelashes at Cade in mock awe. Knowing full well it would piss him off when she acted like a fangirl. 'And, when you're mad.' She added, flicking her hair. Already he looked ready to explode but her comment had just made him even madder. He glared at her in full force. However, she wasn't fazed by his reactions. Within seconds, she straightened up and leveled an intense serious look at the alpha. 'But, Cade, you can boss others about but you better not think you can boss me about. You're only teaching me what I wanna be taught. I wanna be a ninja so you better teach me only that style. I don't care about kickboxing or other of your pansy styles.' Zeva demanded. She wasn't going to let Cade dictate what she needed to learn and in what order. His preferences could go to hell as far as she was concerned. 'Cade, don't even think of disagreeing with me or else I'll tell Ryan to teach me.' She declared, haughtily.

'You're such a pain in my ass.' And, wasn't that the truth. Nearly a laugh left his body at the double meaning of his comment but he didn't lose his composure. Instead, he huffed out, exasperrated. If he'd known how teaching her would be like, he would've never agreed to it in the first place. She was an impossibly difficult student. He had a strong feeling that she was being a spoilt brat because it was him who was teaching her and she thought it was funny to get him worked up. She would'nt act like this, with someone else. But, he'd be damned if he let her annoy him and get her way without a fight.

'What!' Zeva's eyes widened and then narrowed as quickly. What the heck? He didn't just call her a pain. 'You didn't just call me that. I'm gonna kill you. Baka, omae o kurosu*...' She gritted her teeth and launched herself at him.

After fifteen minutes of some intense sparring, with Zeva trying to beat the crap out of Cade, she fell on the matt-covered floor in an exhausted fashion. 'Cade, please no more. I'm tired.' She gave up and breathed out in a low whistle. She moaned as she tried to get rid of the kinks in her sore muscles by moving her limbs ever so gently in slow motion. Gosh, it was so hard to fight him and he hadn't even been trying. Unlike her, he looked as ready and fresh now, as he'd done when they had first started this lesson an hour ago. He looked ready to go another a couple of rounds. El toro**. She'd once watched a bull fight on television when she was a kid. Cade reminded her like that bull. Strong, powerful, stubborn and never giving up.

Finally. Cade got a reason to gloat. It was time to tick her off a bit. 'You can't be serious. We're not stopping now. That was all just warm-up. We haven't even gotten to any actual fighting yet.' Cade scoffed and rolled his eyes, trying to look disapprovingly at her. 'You're sucha wimp. And, another thing, I won't tolerate you saying stuff in other languages thinking I don't understand.' Zeva didn't reply to the challenge in his tone, just shrugging in response.

Silence fell between them, a comfortable silence. This is when Cade noticed Zeva's position. He eyed her stretched out body which was laid out in front of him and felt his heart drum a rhythmic beat in excitement at the sight. He tried to look away but he couldn't take his eyes off her form. Glad that she had no clue of him checking her out, practically undressing her with his lustful green eyes. He cleared his throat and tried to silently regulate his breathing so he didn't get a nosebleed. After a minute of controlling his breathing and thinking of gruesome things to get rid of the growing bulge in his pants, he was relieved that he had been able to overcome his desires without giving himself away. Sighing, he sat down beside her on the floor as he watched her out of the corner of his eye.

'Cade?' Zeva wasn't sure if this was the right time or place to ask him the question that was on the tip of her tongue. Nevertheless, she felt she had to simply ask him because otherwise her mind wouldn't rest. The thought had been going around in her head, not leaving her, since the morning. So, she had to know about it. It was too impotant to just avoid anyway. When she was sure of Cade's full attention on her, she bit on her lip, nervously and began, 'Cade, you know...erm...did Ryan say anything to you about yesterday?'

Cade had been dreading this question because he had known Zeva would ask sooner or later. She was too damn curious for her own good. For the first time in his life, he had no answers. He had nothing to tell Zeva because he himself knew nothing. Ryan had been quiet this morning about everything, a little too quiet when he'd asked him. 'Ryan didn't say anything. I asked him but I got a _nothing _as an answer.' He admitted.

Gnawing on her now raw lips, Zeva grimaced. 'I asked Sara and she said the same thing.' She puffed out, stretching her arms over her head to get rid of the feelings of frustration she felt at not succeeding in her plan. Her plan to rile Ryan up enough to make him fess up. It must have been an epic fail. Well, that had to be the case. Ryan couldn't have confessed his love, could he? Sara would've told her about it. 'Something did happen though. I felt a different vibe coming off them today. It was as though they were scared to even look at each other.' She added.

Cade tried to keep his thoughts focused on what the enticing blonde was saying rather than doing. Hearing her call his name in anger to grab his attention, he realized he'd been staring at her and zoning out. He stuttered, 'Yeah, what?...erm...me too.'

Zeva kicked him lightly on his leg. 'I was saying, Ryan is sucha asshole. I mean, he should just get his act together cause stressing over him isn't good for Sara. God, I hate selfish males. Actually, I hate all males who are around our age.' Zeva muttered, convinced she was right.

In the blink of an eye, Cade lunged at the blue-eyed temptress. Beads of sweat fell off his glistening body, which was mainly on show thanks to the perfectly-fitted pair of shorts and vest he was wearing, as he pinned Zeva to the matt she was stretched out on with his arms, encircling them around hers. Looking down at the blue-eyed beauty, he couldn't help but grin because of the cute face she was making. Her face was a mixture of shock, embarrassment, and anger. Aware of the fact that she was equally mad at him for taking her by surprise than she was shy about their closeness and position, he glowed his eyes to calm her down and tried to ignore the heightened smell of sex pheromones in order to keep his head in working order.

'I'm a male of your age. Am I included in your males-you-hate list?' Cade demanded, applying a little pressure against her thighs with his own.

'Cade, get off me. See, this is what I mean…selfish…oww…' Zeva felt a part of her wanting to kick Cade in the balls but she couldn't move, let alone perform that miraculous feat. One day though. Yes, she was sure she'd be the one doing all the pinning one day. 'You're hurting me.' She lied, thinking he would listen to her.

'I know my strength. And, anyway I could never hurt you.' His tone was so soft, so loving. She almost let him off for dominating her so openly like this.

Trying to get over the wave of love for him that she'd felt at his words, she shoved him. 'Cade, let me up.' She protested without much force behind her words. What he'd said to her had affected her. She felt sappy, butterflies in the pit of her body, all of a sudden. However, she didn't give up. She was as stubborn as him, if nothing else.

Despite her insistence, he didn't budge one inch, so drastic times called for drastic measures. She decided to get him off using another approach. It was time to use her secret weapon. His sexual attraction to her. He was bound to get off then or give up the reigns of dominance to her. Reaching up for the chain dangling around Cade's neck, Zeva pulled on it, tugging to leave him no choice but to close the gap between their faces. When their mouths finally met after a slight hesitation on both parts, Zeva held her breath. The kiss was like velvet, Cade working slowly, almost tentatively as he sipped on her lower lip. But, she knew that before long, the loving kiss would turn into something more once Cade realized her plan. Before that happened, she was determined to roll them so she got the upper hand. Keeping that thought in mind, she was about to do it when she felt his tongue brush the outline of her lips. Lost in the feeling and deprived of air, she exhaled into his mouth, letting a small groan escape with her breath.

Immediately as if coming out of a daze, Cade pulled away, a sour look on his face. 'I know what you were trying to do.' He smirked, still straddling her and stroking her face. 'You have to answer my question. You can't get away with it. I won't let you.' He declared.

Zeva was lost. 'What the hell are you talking about?' She stared at him in confusion.

'When I asked you if you hate me too, you avoided answering by trying to seduce me.' Cade clarified.

'I don't know what you're going on about. I didn't try to seduce you. I wanted you to kiss me for ages, since we start…' She stopped mid-rant, blushing at her slip. She didn't just say that out loud. Oh damn. This was so embarrassing. He wasn't going to let her live this down. She was so stupid. Momentarily, she looked away from him, chewing on her lip.

'So what else is new?' He replied, letting his hands ghost along her exposed stomach. 'You always wanna kiss me because I'm so damn irresistible, I know that already. The feeling is reciprocated, by the way.' He met her eyes, giving her an intense look then he leaned down and kissed her again.

Seeing some kids making out as he entered the gym hall, Alec started to back-track when he remembered why he was there in the first place. With the thought that occured to him set in his mind, he shut the door silently behind him and ventured further into the room. Alec was speechless and motionless having realized whose kids they were. My kids, I should've known...who else would get horny in this place of all places but Cade, Alec thought as he stumbled. The possibility hadn't occured to him or Max but they should've known the kids were more likely to have kissing sessions rather than the planned martial arts sessions. They should've trained Zeva themselves. He came to stand near the couple, who had no clue they had company, and cleared his throat rather loudly to make sure they heard him. Barely holding back a chuckle when his kids tried to distangle themselves, trying to get away from each other, trying to appear innocent of any wrong-doing.

'Hey, Kids. Zeva, has Cade been teaching anything useful?' Amusedly, he asked. Zeva looked like she was praying for the earth to swallow her up, deer-caught-in-the-headlights look adorning her face.

Getting over his embarrassment quickly, Cade smirked. 'Yeah. Everything that we did was pretty useful. I'm a good teacher.' He glanced over at a red-faced Zeva and winked at her, hoping she understood the double meaning of his sentence.

Zeva was finding it hard to speak. She merely nodded in response to her Daddy's question. Yeah, Cade was a good teacher alright, she thought sarcastically and rolled her eyes in disbelief at his conceited self.

'Well, I actually came to get you two. I need to talk to you about something important so go, grab a shower. Once you're all ready, come and find me in Biggs' office. Cade, you know where that is, right?' Getting a silent nod from his son, Alec hesitated before going close to his kids and ruffling each of their hair in turn. 'I don't want to see you making-out like that in front of your little sisters, okay? They're too young yet. So, keep that in mind next time you feel like this.' Grinning, he left them to stew over what he'd said.

The next moment, Cade recieved a perfect and precise punch to his stomach from a seething Zeva. 'You're an ass.'

'That's why you love me.' Cade tried to smile through the pain as he trudged behind her in the direction of the showers. Getting near to the destination, he risked a glance at the ice queen incarnate. 'You know, sharing a shower saves time. And, water.' A warning glare was leveled on him and he felt himself burn. 'Just joking.' He added cautiously, lifting his hands up in surrender.

DADADADADADADDADADA-DADADADADADADADADADADA-DADADADADDADADADADADA-DADADADADADADADA-

*Baka, omae o kurosu = Idiot, I will kill you (japanese)

**El toro = Bull (spanish)


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N; Thanks to the two readers who reviewed, i assume the others either didn't read last chapter, hated it, or are losing interest in the story...i promise there isn't much long to go...and i have noticed that C/Z's love scenes are not much appreciated but worry not because the nxt chapters will be full of action and heart-ache which will lead to the conclusion... i hav been suffering from writer's block hence my crap writing recently...i hope i do my vision of this story justice without the help of my muse...tis hard to write when not motivated so pls review and tell me anything (discuss story, hate on it, shoot my ideas down) do whatever but pls motivate my muse if you want this to maintain its quality...it is my plea because i lov this story too much to be happy with half-assed last few chapters...thanks xxx**

Chapter 35 -

Back in Biggs' office, Alec paced a hole in the floor. Checking the time yet again, he sighed aloud. 'What the hell is taking them so long. I told them to come here about forty minutes ago. They're wasting our time. We could've been doing some important work.' His angry voice boomed in the room. Thankfully, the room was sound-proof. 'Kids...nowadays.' He added, muttering and shaking his head in disapproval.

Biggs was quite surprised to see Alec so worked up. But, he knew the real reason for Alec's impatience and short-temper. His brother, his best friend and his CO never got mad over trivial things. That was Max's job. The recent urgency of his mood and seriousness was due to the real possibility of a war in their beloved nation. It was understandable. Deania was the end-result of years of sacrifices, hard negotiations and patient meetings on behalf of Alec and Max. 'They must've resumed their make-out session when you left.' Biggs tried to lighten the mood, getting a snigger from his son and a raised eyebrow from his brother. He shrugged at them.

'I made it quite clear that they were to report here as soon as possible. They should make-out in their spare time.' Alec rolled his eyes, walking over to a cushioned chair which was placed next to that of Biggs'. He had placed it there at his initial arrival in the room, to make sure he was seated in the right place for the intimate meeting, in the rightful place of an authority figure behind the huge oak table. 'Anyway, I don't think Zeva will allow Cade anywhere near her soon. She looked like she was going to faint when she saw me.' He laughed out loud, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes at his sudden outburst of emotions.

Smiling at his Dad and Uncle who were both in hysterics, Ryan shook his head and snorted. If only Cade could see them right now, laughing at his behaviour. Immediately, feelings of guilt and sadness consumed him as he thought about his own screwed up love life. It was wrong to even call it a love life. He hadn't ever treated Sara with the love that she deserved, the love that he felt for her. At least, Cade was showing Zeva what she meant to him. Even if he said that things were complicated between them. At least, Zeva knew about his love for her, as silent and unsaid his confession of it may be. He was brought back to the present by his Dad's serious tone. 'You should be glad you'll get to keep one of your daughters in your pack forever. It was good that Cade fell for her.'

'Yeah, I'm glad that I don't have to worry about my two older kids. If Cade had accepted Zeva as a sister then I would have had to take proposals for her within a year. And, really I am not looking forward to being in that position for at least a decade or two.' Alec ran a hand through his already tussled hair and sighed, fidgeting with the sleeve of his jacket. It was the rainy season hence the need for such clothing in such a hot part of the world. 'I always had nightmares about Cade knocking up some girl and then having to spend the rest of his life with the girl out of duty rather than love.' Too late, Alec realized his mistake. Looking over at Ryan, he found the boy studying the floor with his utmost concentration, his face pale and crestfallen.

Biggs scoffed. 'At least, Cade would've made such a sacrifice. For us, his family, his pack. For our reputation. But, my spoilt brat of a son here can't do anything for his family.' He pointedly glared at Ryan's motionless form where he was sat on one of the couches.

Alec smelt and sensed Ryan's inner turmoil, his raw emotions. This made him feel bad for the kid. It was so obvious the kid was suffering. It was hardly news that Biggs was pretty judgemental regarding Ryan's behaviour, always had been. 'Biggs, give the kid a break. He's doing the best he can in the situation.' He reasoned. From the corner of his eye, he saw Ryan give him a look of gratitude.

Before his Dad could protest against Alec defending him, the door opened and in walked the couple-of-the-moment. Ryan was glad to be saved from hearing his Dad's disappointment in him. He already felt bad enough. He didn't need anyone else, especially the people he loved, to make him feel worse. Cade seemed to notice his feelings of hurt, he came to sit next to him straight away without bothering to acknowledge the other adults in the office. 'You okay?' Ryan nodded in response to his brother's concerned inquiry.

Shyness took hold of Zeva as Cade left her side to go to sit with Ryan. For a moment, she stood in the middle of the room. Unsure of where to sit, she went to her Daddy and planted herself in his lap, nuzzling his neck to fill her nose with his familiar scent. She got a paternal kiss on her head and an exchange of scent from her Daddy for her efforts. Then he pulled back and met her gaze, smiling with love shining in his bright green eyes which were so like Cade's.

'Baby, you know I don't mind cuddling but I called you guys here cause I need to discuss something important with you.' Alec smacked his daughter playfully on the back, letting her up and guiding her to the chair opposite him whilst still holding her by her arm. 'You two, come here and sit around the table so the meeting can commence.' He ordered the two young Alpha males who were currently sharing a silent conversation which nobody could ever understand.

Cade and Ryan fulfilled the Alpha Commander's order without hesitation or complain. Seated around the table, they exchanged a glance and shrugged at the adults' serious expression. Cade had taken the seat beside Zeva but kept his hands to himself despite his insane urges. He knew his touchy-feely feelings would not be appreciated by the feisty blonde who could be very shy sometimes, especially when surrounded by others. Her discomfort was easy for him to see and feel. Though she was with family and pack males, she wasn't feeling relaxed. A part of him wanted to comfort her somehow, by touching her or exchanging scents with her. However, he knew it wouldn't really help because she would still be stuck in a room full of Alpha males who had, together, the most testosterone in their body than any family of males in the entire nation. Instead, he decided to get down to discussing whatever they were summoned for. 'Dad, what's up?'

Cade's impatient tone wasn't lost on Alec. He could see his daughter trying to hide her worry and fear. Could practically smell the fear off her. He could bet his life that his son's impatience was due to how his chosen female was feeling rather than his own curiosity. He cleared his throat and sighed deeply. His son wasn't going to like what he was about to say. 'As you guys know we have a potential security issue. The staff at command are stretched to limits with their current work. And, I have some jobs that need to get done. So, I decided, who better to ask than you guys for the tasks as they match your skills anyway.'

'Great.' Simultaneously, the two younger males muttered their disagreement in a tone dripping in sarcasm, rolling their eyes and grinning at each other for their identical thoughts and reactions.

Alec ignored this display of cheekiness from the testosterone-filled teenagers. Truth be told, he was rather amused by their reaction. He had expected them to act like this. In fact, he had already discussed with Biggs, as to how to handle the two if they didn't agree to his request. 'Cade and Ryan, both of you will be in-charge of inventories of everything that is imported and exported in Deania. Usually, Dave handles this task but he has been sent to join the border army. We don't have that many soldiers as you know. We're using as many trained males as we can. Mole said he'd do the inventory but we all know he has other more pressing things to look after. And, he gets rather cranky if he has to over-work a little. I'm sure you'll agree that Command is a better place without a cranky Mole.' Sensing his son's on-coming whine, Alec held out his index finger to shut him up. He needed to get his little speech over without interruptions, before letting the kids have their say. Because, he wasn't looking forward to what they were going to say.

Cade's protest died an immediate, premature death as he gauged his Dad's serious expression. He couldn't say he was used to seeing his Dad's face so void of positive emotions and full of negative emotions. It kind of took him by surprise when his Dad's blazing eyes were directed towards him. His Dad looked every bit the Top Alpha of a nation that he was supposed to be, scary and commanding. Cade nodded, feeling like a caged lion cub. Glancing sideways, he wasn't in the least bit surprised to see Ryan chewing his lips and fidgeting in his chair. A clear sign of his brother's nervous, delicate nerves. Cade felt the sudden urge to protest against the way they were being talked to, like soldiers. If not for his own nerves, then for the sake of his brother's. Although his intentions were pure, he guessed it still wouldn't go down well with the adult males. His Dad would probably make him squirm further just to make his point.

Alec wasn't blind to the discomfort of the kids, he just knew voicing the matter wouldn't help them. The only thing that was going to help was, pretending he wasn't commanding them and hurrying up with the meeting so it ended quickly. 'I don't care what you guys think of your new jobs. You can go and whine to your mothers.' All colour drained from Cade and Ryan's faces at the mention of Max and Cece. 'Zeva, I have found you a very interesting job. You'll probably love it.' He addressed his daughter, grinning and leaning forward to stroke her hair with affection.

Zeva's eyes lit up. Excitement and anticipation made her nearly squeal in a room full of males. Succeeding in quenching her girly tendencies to squeal at everything, this she blamed on Mila, she, instead, jumped out of her chair and planted herself on the table in front of her Daddy. 'What is my job going to be?' She asked in expectation as she clutched her hands together. Both sets of her parents are gonna be proud of her, she'd make sure of it. 'Please, Daddy, tell me.'

Alec loved his daughter's enthusiasm. It was infectious. Just like her mother's. When Max set her mind to do something, she was like this. It was uncanny, how alike they were despite not being related biologically. 'You will be trading on the financial markets. You can use your talent with numbers and probabilities/odds to make decisions.'

Zeva's face fell. 'I don't know how to do that. I mean I don't know anything about financial markets.' She pouted.

Alec rushed to assure her. 'You won't be working alone. Suzuki will be working with you. I've already had a word with him. He'll teach you everything you need to know.'

'If you've got Suzuki doing the job, why do you want Zeva to do it as well?' Cade snarled. He hated that asshole. Even if he didn't before, he did now.

'We need a lot of money. We've always allocated some funds to trading because it's how we make free money. Suzuki is good but he isn't exactly a genius when it comes to the actual trading. He blames his poor strike rate on testosterone but I think he just isn't that great with predicting accurately. And, at the moment, we can't afford to lose any money. We figured, it would be best to have two maths geniuses working together to make us money than one.' Alec explained, patiently.

'Why do you suddenly need so much money? We hardly use any money here.' Cade dead-panned, throwing his hands up to show his exasperation.

'In case you've forgotten, we have a potential world war on the horizon.' Biggs spoke up for the first time since Alec had started telling the kids about their new positions, anger evident in his tone.

'But, I don't want her anywhere near that pig. You know how he is.' Cade whined, giving Ryan a pleading look to help him out.

'Suzuki can be very forthcoming in his advances.' Ryan tried to stick up for his brother's reasoning, didn't want to let him down. That said, he had no intention to scare Zeva though. Nevertheless, he actually agreed with his best friend on this one. Suzuki was a notorious playboy. Being in his mid-twenties, he still hadn't claimed a female as a chosen mate.

'He is aware which pack and family Zeva belongs to. He wouldn't dare try anything.' Biggs declared. He prided himself in the protection he gave to the females of his family and pack. And, knew Alec was as strict in his protection of their females.

Realizing he wasn't going to be able to sway them to see things his way, Cade relented the argument. 'Fine. When do we start?' He asked, feeling resigned.

'Now. The sooner the better. You two, go find Dalton. He's expecting you. Zeva, you come with me. I'll take you to Suzuki's space. He works near the computer rooms. It'll be easier for you to be closer to Sara now.' Alec got up, helping his daughter off the table.

'I need to talk to Zeva.' Cade mumbled, loud enough for everyone to hear. 'Alone.' He felt himself go red. Damn. He was not blushing...he was not blushing. He breathed in and out without making it obvious.

Biggs laughed out loud. 'Well, don't let us stop you. You can go in hallway to say your goodbyes.' He winked, knowingly.

Cade felt his face get redder and hotter, if it was even possible. A sideways look confirmed that Zeva was blushing too. For good measure, he glared at the smirking adults and marched out of the room, followed by Zeva. She didn't look happy.

'Did you have to embarrass me like that, you ass?' She huffed out.

'I know you love it.' He winked at her. After that initial short interaction, silence befell them for a good five minutes. 'Erm...I just wanna say, don't let that bastard near you, okay?' He scratched at the back of his neck.

'Is that all you wanted to say?' She glared daggers at him. 'You think I can't look after myself?'

'Well, you needed my help when Raul was picking on you.' He scoffed.

'I wasn't sure about the strength of males then. I know now. Since, I have beat the crap out of you a lot of times now.' She smiled, devilishly and tapped her biker-boots on the floor, impatiently.

'I always let you hit me. I must love pain. Anyway, If I smell that bastard's scent coming off any part of your body, I'm gonna kill you both.' Cade growled low in his throat at the mere thought of such a thing happening. 'I am not joking. I mean it.'

Zeva snorted. 'Oh please. I don't kill you when I smell other females on you. You think I like that? You asshole, I'm not the one whose the whore here but you seem to be implying that.'

Unknown to Zeva and Cade, Biggs' office was just like their parent's. It was sound-proof but everything said in the hallway could be heard from inside the office. At the moment, all three males in the room were laughing at the expense of Cade. In their hearts, they also felt bad for him because they felt his pain. However, this was just too hilariously funny to not laugh at. Cade was currently getting an earful from Zeva. Then, as suddenly as the exchange of heated words had started, it stopped. Seconds later, a few moans could be heard.

'They're always making out.' Ryan muttered under his breath and coughed.

That evening, Cade came home to find Zeva stretched out on his favourite couch, reading a book which she was engrossed in and listening to her ipod. Feeling good about the fact that she didn't even notice him come in because her animal side recognised him as her mate, he sat down beside the arm of the couch where her head was and pulled out one of her earphones. 'Hey.'

Scrambling to sit up, she blushed. He'd caught her off guard. She wasn't supposed to be so relaxed, especially not when she was babysitting and house-watching. 'Hey. You're late. You haven't eaten, have you?'

'Nah, I'm starving. Ryan had to leave a little earlier. Something about a check-up for Sara and the baby. I decided to finish up his work too. Where's everyone?' He noticed the silence and the lack of his screaming sisters and fighting parents. Were they alone? Fuck. This would be the first time. Subconsciously, he moved closer to her.

'Mommy and Daddy are still at work. They aren't coming home tonight. They said they have to go over some battle plans and stuff. They're gonna sleep in one of the dormitories at Command. The girls are in their bedroom. They were hollering at each other a few minutes ago. They must've ran out of steam. Erm...I have put dinner on. So, if you wanna go wash up or something, you can. It'll be ready in about six minutes.' She knew she was rambling. He hadn't asked her about dinner. For some reason, she felt uneasy with the lustful looks he was giving her. They were different from the way he usually looked at her. Realizing his close proximity, she maneuvered out of his reach and off the couch. 'I'm checking on the dinner.' Using this as an excuse, she made her way into the kitchen. Still felt his intense eyes following her every move.

'Did you pick the girls from school?' Cade followed her into the kitchen and washed his hands under her watchful eyes, she was obsessed with cleanliness. Taking the plates and cutlery into the dining area, he started to set the table.

Full of love for her soul-mate, she gazed adoringly at him for his efforts to try and help her. 'I picked them from Cece's. She insisted that we stay there for the night but I refused. I said we could handle the girls. Anyway, I sleep better here. It feels safe.' Getting a nod of agreement, she went quiet.

Dinner being on the table, they called the girls. The twins had been awfully silent since Cade had come home. Cade and Zeva had no clue of the reason. When they asked them, the twins just tiptoed around the subject, avoiding it. What they didn't know was that they had been listening to their siblings' conversation and had been peeking from the hallway. The girls had been gushing over their siblings like a couple of fangirls whose most loved OTP was coming true.


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N; Thanks to everyone for your kind words of condolences and support... as you guys know I haven't written for ages so don't know if the quality of this chapter suffered because of the lack of practice...I hope I have done this chapter justice and hope it was worth the wait for you guys...I did try my best to write it to my normal standards...pls, let me know what you thought of this chapter...LOV U ALL XXX**

Chapter 36 -

There was a chill in the air that cut deep to the bone, the rose-pink light of dawn casting shadows on the Ocean surface. The ocean waves were hitting the shore, breaking the silence that was otherwise blanketing the entire nation of Deania. The nation's inhabitants were all in bed or at least home if not in their bed. Except one.

Max sighed deeply as she sat on the roof-top of the Command building, eyes never leaving the horizon. She hadn't been able to sleep despite Alec's efforts to calm her. On a normal night, she only slept for a few hours. Less than most. But, tonight hadn't been a normal night. She had things on her mind that wouldn't let her rest. Add to that the fact that she was away from her kids in such a tense situation and she wasn't going to get any sleep even when she knew they were safe. After spending hours in the bed for Alec's sake more than her own, she got up. She needed to be alone, needed a high place where she could think without distractions. Because, for the first time in a very long time, she felt fear seep into the very core of her being.

Failure, remorse, anxiety, hurt and guilt. These were the raw emotions that she felt right now, sitting alone on one of the few high platforms on the roof. It was one of the only places that she could call her own as no transgenics ever came here. She hadn't allowed herself to think in the presence of her mate, knowing he would feel her mood, smell her fear. Wasn't ready to admit her feelings to him or to talk about it to him. What would she say even if she was capable of doing so, that she was sorry for being wrong, for putting them in such a situation where they were all in view of anyone who would want to harm them. No, she couldn't say that. Not only for the reason that it hurt to admit it, but rather because it implied that she was giving up and insulting the memory of those transgenics who had lost their lives for their freedom. She shuddered as the thoughts penetrated her mind. She clenched her fists, wanting to let off some of the steam she felt building up inside her by busting the very platform she was sat on. Her inner voice's insistence that she had failed to deliver on her promise to her people raced through her head again. She couldn't avoid the truth of the voice of her own conscious. She had let her people down, though they didn't know yet. People, who despite being capable of looking after themselves had placed their trust in her. How was she going to tell them that all the sacrifices they had made, as a family, a nation and a race, were going to go to waste, had been pointless.

A feral cry escaped her. The next moment, the tears she had been holding back broke free. Quenching her desire to call for her mate, she hugged herself instead. When she felt a presence behind her, she tensed. She knew who it was. That didn't mean she was ready to face him. 'Why are you here?' She asked in an aggressive tone.

'I could ask you the same thing.' Was Alec's reply. Feeling annoyed as well as miserable, he threw his hands up in the air in defeat and walked over to Max's side. He sat down beside her and pulled her in an embrace. 'What's wrong?' He was concerned for her. He had felt her feral cry and her intense emotions. It was the only reason he was up at such an ungodly hour. Rubbing his hand soothingly on her arm, he leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on her head.

'Smartass. You should be asleep...you shouldn't have come here.' Max said in a small voice, quivering from her sobs and not meeting Alec's gaze. She was scared of what she would find in those beautiful eyes of his.

Alec sighed out loud. 'How can I sleep when I can feel my mate feeling all these negative emotions? Max, you beating yourself up over our potential security situation isn't going to help the matter. It's not your fault. How many times do I have to tell you that?' He understood her feelings. Being her mate for over a decade had allowed him to get through every defensive wall she had built around her heart and mind. He was proud to be the only one who knew whatever Max thought about and the extent of her true feelings for her people. Anyone who knew her love and dedication towards the transgenic race would be able to guess what was eating at her and keeping her awake.

Max rested her head against Alec's chest and let herself relax. 'Alec, I failed.' Hearing Alec's gasp at her admission of her defeat in such a manner, she burrowed into his warmth by squeezing her arms around his torso. 'I was wrong. I forced everyone to come out of hiding and look now what position are we in. If we lose, we lose everyone and everything.' She added, remorsefully.

'Max, if you put it that way then I was wrong too. And, so were all the first generation transgenics wrong who believed that they deserved to live free like any human in the world. Were we all wrong, huh?' Alec paused. 'Max, I want you to stop blaming yourself because you have gotta see that this security situation is the fault of that bastard, Sullivan. He's the one hell bent on conquering the entire world or those nations who he thinks he can win against. I won't let him win. I promise.' He grabbed hold of her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. Glowing them, he let her know that he intended to keep his promise. When Max nodded in acceptance, he gave her a smile.

Maybe Alec was right about everything. Maybe she was taking it the wrong way. She should try to focus her attention on their battle plans rather than wallowing in her guilt. What was done couldn't be changed but she could make sure her nation, her family didn't have to make sacrifices ever again. Wiping her eyes and face of the tears, Max decided to change the topic of discussion. 'Do you think we should go and check on the kids?' The sun was rising now over the horizon which drew her eyes to the magnificent sight. She subconsciously linked her hands with Alec's and rubbed her body against his.

'No. They'll be okay. I'll call Cade later so he can wake the girls for school on time. Anyway, they need to learn to live without us being there all the time. We'll have to spend more time here at Command from now on.' Alec moved so he was sitting behind Max with her between his legs. Placing his head on her shoulder, he bit down on her exposed skin making her moan. 'I love you, Maxie.'

Max turned around slightly in Alec's arms. 'I love you too.'

A couple of hours later, Alec called his son's phone as he'd promised Max he would.

Zeva woke up to the sound of Cade's cell-phone ringing. She looked over at the owner of the phone and rolled her eyes in annoyance. Cade didn't seem to want to answer the phone, judging by the way he had buried his head under the pillow. Huffing and gritting her teeth, she reached over him to where the phone was on the bedside table. Flipping the phone open, she said. 'Yes?'

'Zeva, baby, where's Cade?' Getting this reply, Zeva quickly looked at the caller ID. She nearly dropped the phone.

'Daddy, are you okay and is Mommy okay?' She asked, trying to deflect questions about Cade. What was she supposed to say, _oh hey daddy, Cade is sleeping beside me and refuses to wake up that's why I am answering his phone. _Like hell she'd say something like that. She shoved Cade with her free hand. When he peeked from under the pillow, she glared at him which earned her a smirk from him.

'Yeah, we're okay. I called you to remind you to wake your sisters up for school and get them to Cece's on time.' Her Daddy answered in a tired tone.

'I know, Daddy. I was going to wake them up now. In fact, I'm in the kitchen and Cade's in the bathroom. That's why I answered his phone.' Zeva hoped her Daddy didn't pick up on her lie. She felt bad for lying but she couldn't tell the truth. Seeing Cade grin like a mad hyena made her want to strangle him for putting her in such a predicament.

She heard her Daddy laugh softly. 'Yeah, yeah, okay. I should let you go now. And, you and Cade should be here at your posts on time too. I'll see you later.' The phone went dead.

Zeva sighed as she shut the phone. Looking over at Cade, she found him trying to hide his laughter. In her anger, she threw the phone at him and tried to distangle her body from him and the sheets. 'You dumbass. I hate you.' She got out of his bed and marched out of his room. Last night, he had insisted they sleep in his bed because his room was closer to the girls in the case they needed them. She had agreed. A part of her had known that it was a significant event because no male invited a female he was interested in sexually into his territory unless she meant something more to him.

'I love you too.' Cade shouted back, winking at her when she turned before leaving.

Zeva quickly grabbed her things and went to the bathroom. Minutes later, having had a quick shower to wash off the scent of Cade's ever-wandering hands and lips, she emerged fully dressed and ready for the day ahead. Not bothering to try to get Cade up, she opened her sisters' room to wake them instead. Lima was already up, trying to wake Mila. 'Hey, L. Go, use the bathroom before the others need to go. I'll get her out of bed.' Zeva ruffled Lima's hair and nuzzled her neck in affection when she went past her. After Lima had left, she made her way over to Mila's side of the room and sat down beside the sleeping form. 'Mi, wake up baby. I'll make you pancakes.'

'Did I just hear pancakes?' Came a groggy voice from the doorway.

Zeva turned to find a shirtless Cade leaning against the door-frame. She blushed at the sight of his muscles and chest. He looked so damn hot with his bed-hair, bleary eyes, and cute pout. Trying her best to not show him her true lustful thoughts, she stared at him in a fiercely angry way. 'Cade, get lost. I'm trying to wake my baby up.' She faced Mila again. However, Mila seemed to be very awake following Zeva and Cade's little conversation. 'Good, you're awake. Get up now. If you're late for school, L won't be the only one mad at you.' She warned her little sister and then left to go to the kitchen to make everyone breakfast. As she passed Cade, he quickly stole a kiss from her, in the process making Mila squeal in delight.

At 8.56 a.m. pacific time zone, Cade, Ryan, Zeva and Sara entered the Command building. Immediately, the girls left the boys to go to their work spaces but the two teenage male weren't so enthusiastic about their duties to run off to their posts in such haste. They decided to look for their Dads, just to kill time.

On their way to Biggs' office, they passed Riya. 'Hey, is Dad in his office?' Ryan asked the female transgenic who looked a lot like a horse with her weird face.

'Nah. There's gonna be a meeting at 9 so he's there.' The female curled a strand of her red hair around her finger.

'Okay, thanks.' Cade quickly grabbed hold of his brother's arm and dragged him alongside himself as he strutted over to the meeting rooms. He could tell where the meeting was taking place because Ale, his parents' PA was standing outside the door as though she was keeping the place under her guard. 'Hey, Ale.' Cade was stopped in his tracks before he could try to open the conference room door. He looked at the female, raising his eyebrow in an annoyed manner. 'What?'

'You are not allowed in. It's a classified meeting. You don't have clearance.' Ale responded, blank face and emotionless tone of a soldier in place.

'What the fuck? I'm Max's son.' Cade was furious. Nobody told him what he could or couldn't do.

'You still have no clearance. I'm sorry.' Ale shrugged, clearly not in the least sorry. 'Go and do the jobs you have been assigned. I'll tell Max you were asking to see her.' She added, giving the two teenagers a silent pleading look to listen to her without causing trouble.

Ryan nodded in acceptance and put his arm around Cade's shoulders. 'Come on. Let's go. We can see them later.' Relief flooded him when Cade moved away from the door in agreement.

**DADADADA**

**I will try to update again by saturday or sunday...  
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	37. Chapter 37

**A/N; Please click back to make sure you have read chapter 36 which i posted nearly two weeks ago before reading this chapter...thanks to Yeldi and merrick for actually reviewing that chapter...and as for the rest of you, i guess you didn't like the chapter hence the lack of reviews...i would like to dedicate this chapter to Yeldi whose enthusiasm for this story is infectious...I thank Yeldi for the detailed reviews and encouragement which spurred me on to write a much better chapter this time and as requested, this chapter is one of the longest hence the wait, so enjoy and i look forward to some reviews...thanks xoxo**

Chapter 37 -

'Biggs, is Cece gonna be here any time soon because we really need to start this meeting now.' Max questioned, without looking up from the papers she was currently going over. Although the meeting was about the contents in the papers and so the contents would be discussed at length, she still wanted to read the details herself in order to accept the reality of the situation. It felt more real this way, holding the materials in her very own hands. Alec's tense body language and his forced smile should have been enough evidence of the desperation of their current position but it wasn't enough. She sighed and subconsciously brushed her knee against Alec's, to calm him.

'Yeah. She's in the building. She'll be here any second now.' Biggs responded and on cue, Cece walked in, an unapologetic look adorning her face. Taking a seat beside him, she gave him a quick smile before glancing around the room, her wandering gaze coming to stop at the head of the table.

'Sorry guys, you had to wait for me. I took the girls to school.' Cece shrugged nonchalantly and left it at that as she knew there was no further need for explanation. It wasn't the first time that she was late for an important meeting. In fact, it would have been out of the ordinary had she been on time.

The highly classified defense meeting usually took place annually. Max and Alec, as the co-leaders, held the meeting just to go over defense plans and talk over their little nation, Deania's status on matters of fiscal and political policy in accordance to the rest of the world. Well, that had been the case for over a decade now. However, this morning's meeting was different. An isolated case. The usual participants of the meeting had been called in urgency, to discuss and go over the defense plans in the case of invasion. Other than the leaders, Biggs, Cece, Mole, Suri and Rex were the only other transgenics with the clearance to attend such a meeting. Now, all the transgenics were sitting patiently as they waited for the meeting to commence.

'Alec, what you got for us?' Max tiredly asked the nation's Alpha and highest ranking commander.

Alec looked around the room and forced a blank face. He had already discussed the battle plans with Suri, Biggs and Mole but that didn't make the task of heading this defense meeting any easier. Clearing his throat, he began to rattle out their status. 'As you all are aware, last time I said I would discuss battle plans with some of you. For those of you who weren't invited to that meeting, the options have been carefully analyzed by us. When we were going through the options, the main priority was the survival of our species. It's either fight or flight. So, keeping that in mind, we had to come up with two battle plans, of which, we have to use one course of action.' Wanting the others to take this in, he took a breather. Giving Max a side-long glance, he saw she was chewing on her bottom lip and nodding in thought.

'So, what are the two options?' Cece asked. She couldn't help her voice from breaking slightly. She was scared of what she was going to hear because she had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that she wasn't going to like what Alec was going to say. If she hadn't been able to guess herself, then Biggs' hand caressing her thigh under the table was evidence enough.

'Well, I'll let Suri explain since she's the expert.' Alec nodded at Suri to continue from where he left off.

Suri nodded in acceptance and began. 'I went through all the five battle plans Alec sent me, one by one. I went through all the possible scenarios and used my computer to simulate battle conditions to collect results and data. Anyway, in the end, two of the battle plans emerged as the clear winners that showed it was possible to survive even in dire conditions. The first option we have is fight, and here I present to you my model.' She got out of her chair and took a remote-control device from her pocket. Pointing it in the middle of the table, she clicked. A hologram of a model appeared in the center where the table had a glass surface with a light emitting through it. 'As you can see clearly, in this model, we propose that we pretty much prepare everyone for fighting. Most of our residents are already equipped to fight anyway. However, we will need to use everyone to hold off an imminent threat which could prove impossible in the case of Scherzo survivors, pregnant females and babies. If we go with this course of action, these groups would have to take refuge here in Command as this is the most central and structurally sound building in our nation.' She looked at Max, Cece, and Rex in turn to gauge their reactions as it was the first time they were hearing this. Anger, despair and determination were etched into the expressions that she found looking back at her and she wasn't surprised one bit.

Meeting Alec's eye and earning a small silent nod to continue, Suri focused her attention back to the hologram. Clicking the controller a few more times, she moved on in her presentation. 'Right, now the other option that we have. Oh yes, here is the model for flight. If we go with this plan then basically every male who is not capable to fight for some reason or other goes into hiding with their pack or family. And, another thing about this plan is that all females will have to go into hiding too as we can't have males worrying about the females on the battlefield.' A collective gasp that came from the other two females present in the room shattered the otherwise silent room, following this statement. Suri ignored this and carried on explaining. 'Only trained male soldiers will stay behind to fight and keep enemies or ordinaries from gaining Deania territory. We can't afford to lose the nation to the wrong hands, that will spell disaster.' She made a pained face at the unhappy females in the room. 'All families or packs will spread out to other nations and go into complete hiding until they receive a plausible signal or sign from the fighting soldiers, to re-group and return to Deania.' Finishing her analysis report, she shut the hologram off and sat back down on her vacant seat.

Max was furious. Listening to the battle plans, at first she had been remorseful but now she felt only anger burn her insides. 'What the hell? What kind of a bullshit plan is that? You really think the females who can fight won't want to, if you just tell them they can't?' She huffed in annoyance, training her eyes on Alec at even considering such a horrendous thing as he was the one who had drawn up the battle plans in the first place.

'Like hell I'd go into hiding and leave my mate and possibly my only son in the line of fire.' Cece added her thoughts on the matter.

'Exactly, Cece's right. I agree 100% with her. Suri, you can't possibly agree with the second option. You know that most first generation females are as capable as or, in some cases, more capable than males in combat, strategy and execution of a mission.' Max rubbed her temples with her thumbs. This meeting was making her already edgy nerves go hyperactive and now she had a banging headache.

'I know that this battle plan, taken at face value, seems to suggest that females are being left out just because the males wouldn't want them to fight. But, upon my close inspection, the simulations prove that using females to fight could seriously hinder our chances of success. If we talk about our females' capabilities as soldiers then you know Max that I would be the first to agree with you. We do have excellent female soldiers, yourself, Cece and myself included but we can't deny the fact that we have lesser developed instincts, less animal in us. As a result, if us females use our instincts, we still would not have the same effect as the male alphas. And, it's the animal part of us that can win this fight because that's our advantage over the ordinaries. We don't have quantity but rather we have quality. I know, you'll probably hate me saying this, hell I hate me saying this, but we were made like this for the sole reason that instincts play a huge part in survival.' Suri explained her logic, with an apologetic look adorning her now-red face.

Max gave the highest ranking military female after herself a disbelieving look. 'I know that. However, I don't understand why that would be a good enough reason to stop us females from defending our country, our home.' She nearly hissed out like a mad cat, not being able to contain her frustrations any longer.

'I'm afraid, my calculations and data shows that in order to win against a possible huge army, the soldiers will have to operate in their instincts. And, we all know that due to high levels of testosterone, the males are capable to go into their instincts faster than us females in any situation. For males, it's like a switch on or off but it's not the same for us females. In fact, my study which I have conducted over a long time now shows that females only go into their instincts when their children are in danger. Other than that females tend to operate rationally even when under pressure. We can't tell the females to have their children near them when they are on the battlefield so that it's easier for them to get animalistic, can we?' It wasn't really a question, more of a statement from the analyst. Suri made an apologetic face. She was well aware of the fact that there was slim chance of Max or Cece ever agreeing to the second option. Some in their race were just not cut out to stay away from the action, just couldn't handle the exclusion. She knew this very well indeed.

'Well, I for one don't care what you military specialists say. If the males are gonna fight then I am too.' Cece declared, not daring to look at her mate for his reaction.

'Yeah, me too.' Max said, with a stubborn tilt of her head as her eyes blazed cool fire pointedly at Alec. Her silent glare dared him to disagree and argue with her.

The males had been quiet all through the conversation because they wanted to hear the female perspective. And, seeing a cat-fight of a kind, even a verbal one instead of a physical one, was amusing too to some extent. But, enough was enough. Alec sighed and held his hand up to stop anyone else arguing. 'Right, we let you guys hear the plans and you've had your say about our options. As the highest ranking official and Alpha, I make the final decision. My decision is that no matter which option we use, we will not let all our females fight. Especially, the high ranking females.' When Max opened her mouth to possibly object, he stared her down seriously. 'That includes you, Max and Cece. Biggs and I will be fighting so we don't want you to be in harm's way. Don't forget, we have children. If anything happened...' He was cut off by Cece's chair scraping on the floor.

'This is bullshit, Alec.' She exclaimed in anger, steam coming out of her ears. 'You can't decide for us.'

'Cece, it's a direct order from me. You have no say in the matter.' Alec felt exhausted, drained of all life and energy. He really didn't want to be doing this. He loved Cece like a little sister and to hurt her made him feel sad and guilty.

'Fuck this.' Cece muttered choking on a sob before storming out of the room at top speed.

Biggs quickly got up to go after his hurt mate. Though, he didn't leave. He remained standing near the door. Asking Alec the silent permission to leave the meeting by meeting his eyes with an impatient look, he got a nod as an answer. As soon as he saw Alec's nod, he ran out to follow Cece. Picking her scent in the air, he followed the most beautiful scent he had ever smelt in his life to the owner. She was sat in their garden, on the swing. 'Hey, babe.' He approached her cautiously, knowing full well that when Cece was like this she was a fire-cracker getting ready to explode any second.

'Piss off.' She said half-heartedly, looking away from where Biggs was standing. She was equally mad at him for not backing her up in the meeting. He knew that she would never allow him to fight alone then why the hell did he have to agree with Alec.

Not taking her rejection of his comfort to heart, he sat beside her. 'Babe, you know I love you and in most cases, I would always say you're right. But, this time I believe Alec's right.' He received a punch to his shoulder for this quiet, serious confession. 'Cece, we're thinking about our kids and we need someone to come back to, someone to fight for. Please, babe.' He murmured and sighed in defeat.

'This is our home, Biggs. I don't want to lose it. It's ours. I can't...they can't just... Our kids are in danger.' Cece couldn't hold back any longer. She grabbed hold of Biggs and held onto him as though her very breath depended on it.

Biggs tried to comfort her by nuzzling and kissing her neck and shoulders. 'Babe, I promise, I won't let them hurt you or our kids. I won't give up on this...on our home. Everything's gonna be alright.' He wished he could believe what he was promising to her. All he knew for sure was, he would protect his family till his last drop of blood and last breath in his body.

Max and Alec were in their office going through some paperwork. Max was ignoring Alec because that's what he deserved. The idiotic ass. How dare he make such an important decision without consulting her. Yes, she had been the one to hand him all power of the military aspects of their job. However, this was plain ridiculous. He couldn't just expect her to agree with his stupid plan of action. Screw him. She was Max. Hell would freeze over, before she would sit on her ass and let others die trying to save the nation she founded. If anyone thought that, then they had to re-think. From the corner of her eye, she saw Alec give her a silent, longing look. He could act hurt all he liked, he was still gonna sleep on the couch tonight. In her annoyance, she was about to voice her thoughts on his staring when the knock on the door interrupted her. 'What?' She glared daggers at the door, hoping it would just blast already. The door opened to the sight of the fucking irritating Lizard-man himself. 'What the fuck do you want, Mole?'

'Ain't someone feeling pissy today, huh?' Mole's tone dripped of amusement. 'Princess, I need you so we can discuss some papers.' He motioned for Alec to follow him, his cigar between his lips at a dangerous angle.

Alec nodded and got up. Grabbing his jacket, he tried one more time to reason with Max. 'Maxie, just think about everything calmly and logically before you write me off. I promise, I'll let you beat me up if anything's my fault.'

'No, that's the problem. It's all my fault.' Max retorted. She tried to sound sarcastic but deep down she knew what she had said was true. It was all her fault. She had been the one who had trusted ordinaries and persuaded the transgenics to live here. And, look at what her vision of freedom had gotten them.

'Maxie...' Alec moved to comfort her.

'Princess?' Mole wasn't planning on being present for any angsty or emotional moments between the nation's leaders. 'Sykes is waiting.'

Alec threw his hands up as a sign of defeat. 'Fine.' At the door, he turned back. 'Maxie, I love you.' He left without waiting for a reply.

When Max was sure that Alec wouldn't come back, she snatched the phone and called Cece. On the third ring her best friend picked up. 'Hey C. Are you okay?'

'Yeah, I think.' Was the blonde female's reply.

Max twirled her hair around her finger as she spoke. 'Well, don't worry. No action's going down yet and when it does go down who says we won't be there anyway, right?' She tried to sound cheery.

'Really, you're thinking of going against Alec's order?' Cece sounded like she was in complete awe of her plan.

'Well yeah. Anyway, until the time comes, we don't have to tell the boys what we're thinking. I am gonna make Alec feel guilty for coming up with the plan in the first place, which means a lot of ignoring and a lot of defeated, hurt looks.' Talking to Cece about it, made her feel as though a weight had been lifted from her heart. Cece was laughing now. She was glad she could lighten her friend's mood. 'Are you okay with tonight's dinner or shall we cancel it?'

'No way. This week it's my turn to cook dinner and you're trying to avoid it. Don't tell me you've been eating my crap cooking all this time without telling me the truth about it. And, here I thought I was awesome.' Cece said in a horrified tone.

'No, you know everyone loves your cooking. I just thought you might be feeling depressed. You know, because of my darling mate.' Max explained.

'I'm okay. I can handle it. Your darling mate is my darling brother. I know how to ignore him being a complete pig. Anyway, cooking is a good stress-relief, how many times do I have to tell you that.' Cece tutted.

'Yeah, I beg to disagree cause your cooking doesn't suck and mine sucks, so you wouldn't know.' Max was embarrassed to admit it but ah, well it was only Cece she was talking to. She hated talking about cooking since she was so bad at it. An epic failure she was in that area. She shook her head at the miserable thoughts of her lack of skills in that department.

'I want everyone here on time, no excuses.' Cece said.

'Okay, see you then.' Max cut off their connection and placed the phone back on its holder. Going back to the papers, she smiled, shaking her head at her best friend's attitude. Somehow, Cece was believed to be a badass by most of the nation even though Max knew that her friend also had a sensitive and sweet side to her personality which others never saw.

That evening, Alec's pack was having dinner with Biggs' pack at Biggs' home. The weekly dinner on every Tuesday night was rotated between the two households. Tonight, the mood of the adults around the table was somber. They were trying their best to pretend that nothing was wrong for the sake of their children. It was hard. The hardship was the reason a couple of kids picked up on the tension in the air which was crackling like electricity between the adults, namely Cade and Ryan. The boys curiously studied their parents and exchanged a look in askance, Cade mouthing 'What's up do you think?' and Ryan shrugging in response to show that he didn't have any idea himself.

Cade looked at the girls to see if they had picked up on the negative vibes but it seemed Ryan and himself were the only ones. Curiosity killed the cat, he had read somewhere and laughed at the implications then. Now, he understood what was meant by the saying. He was dying to know the reason for his Mom's hushed whispers as she talked to Cece and their ignorance and anger towards his Dad and Biggs. What had they done to garner such reaction from the two females? Maybe, it had something to do with the classified meeting this morning, were the thoughts that were running through Cade's head. He was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice Zeva asking him something. Only realizing something had been asked, when Ryan jabbed him in the ribs from where he was sat beside him. 'Yeah, yeah.' He simply answered, keeping it vague and hoping it was the right thing to say. He'd once heard a male say that it was best to just agree if you weren't sure what was being asked. Unfortunately, he wasn't so lucky. Zeva and Sara giggled in response.'What did she just ask me?' He quickly asked his brother in a whisper.

Ryan grinned. 'Zeva wanted to confirm for Sara that she can easily beat you up in every fighting style.' He wiggled in eyebrows in amusement. Seeing Cade turn red, he couldn't help himself and started laughing hysterically.

Cade glared at Zeva which made her laugh hard. He realized that she'd known he'd zoned out from the beginning so had decided to pull a prank on him. 'I'll get you back. Just wait.' He was rewarded with her sticking her tongue out. Next moment, all his sisters were on his case. Lyla and Mila weren't trying to actually make fun of him, they just managed to do it with their naive talk about his cuteness. His sisters had the talent to embarrass a person without intending to. He couldn't help but pout and sulk. Ryan wasn't helping the matter either. His brother was clearly happy that he wasn't being subjected to the treatment he was. The most stupid grin he'd seen Ryan sport was on his face showing his enjoyment. The traitorous bitch. Cade pointedly huffed out in anger.

After dinner, the families gathered in the living room. The only two who weren't present were, Sara and Zeva. They had insisted that they would do the dishes so that Max and Cece could just sit down and relax. The older females had relented in the end because let's be honest, who liked doing dishes in the first place. Having done the dishes, the girls returned to find one vacant place next to Cade, which he had saved for Zeva. He quickly pulled her down in the seat, grinning at her. This left Sara without anywhere to sit. Awkwardly, she stood next to where Ryan was seated. Before anyone could say anything or she herself could say anything, she was pulled onto Ryan's lap by him.

Ryan's sudden action had placed him under the scrutiny of all his family members. He shrugged, scratching his head nervously. 'I'm not sitting on the floor for her.' He trained his gaze at the back of Sara's head. Aware that everyone had accepted his reasoning and gone back to watching the tele or, in the case of his four sisters, playing their board game he focused his attention back on the pregnant female currently sitting in his lap. She was nervous. He could tell by the way she kept her body away from his and the tension in her posture. He put his arms around her slowly, not wanting anyone to pick up on his movements. Pulling her against his chest, he whispered in her ear. 'I won't hurt you ever again. Just relax.' He moved back and rested his head back on the cushion.

Two hours later, Alec, Max and their kids had left and Cece told everyone to go to bed.

Ryan was feeling pretty good as he made his way upstairs, walking behind Sara. Not taking his eyes off her, he watched as she stretched out on the landing. 'Tired?' She looked at him and nodded, smiling shyly. Entering their bedroom, he motioned for her to use the bathroom to get ready first. When she was in the bathroom, he changed into a pair of boxers and then waited by the door for her to get out.

Sara was at a loss to understand why Ryan was acting so differently towards her all of a sudden. Her heart kept beating faster and her mind kept throwing around theories for her to mull over. He was being nice to her, that didn't mean he was gonna carry on being nice so she knew she shouldn't get too excited or take advantage of this change in him. She quickly got ready. Finding him waiting for her to get out, she gave him an apologetic look. 'I'm sorry for taking long.' She muttered in a small voice.

'No, it's okay. I was just standing here because I had nothing else to do.' He smirked.

She nodded. 'It's all yours.' She pointed at the bathroom.

After getting ready, Ryan came out to find Sara sitting up in the bed, reading a book. He sat beside her, his back resting against the headboard and his long legs splayed out in front of him. 'What are you reading?' He inquired because he was genuinely interested about her tastes in things and she'd been reading the small book every night since she started it, two nights ago. He really wanted to know what was so engrossing in the book that she had ignored to acknowledge his presence again tonight.

Sara looked up from the book. Not sure if he was really interested in knowing or wanting an excuse to mock her, she held his gaze for a moment. Realizing that he looked sincere, she lifted her book from her lap and showed him the cover. 'Shakespeare. A collection of his sonnets.' She simply answered him and then went back to reading.

'Ugh...Isn't he that ordinary who wrote Romance? Why are you reading this?' Ryan made a horrified face.

'It's not all romance. He wrote about honour and death and other things as well. I don't go to school but that doesn't mean I don't read books or study. I have extensively studied every subject that you were all taught and in doing so I realized I love reading fiction. Anyone who loves reading knows Shakespeare is one of the greatest writers ever in literature. Reading his works is one of my greatest pleasure.' Sara explained, red-faced. Talking about her interests always got her excited. And, right now the person listening to her was Ryan which added to her excitement.

Her enthusiasm was infectious to him. 'Read me a poem.' He requested, smiling encouragingly and then scooted closer without making it too obvious. 'But not one about love.'

'Uh, okay.' Saying that she was surprised would have been lying, shocked was more like what she was feeling. For a moment, she skipped through the pages, trying to find something he might like. 'Well, I like this one. "_When I consider every thing that grows, Holds in perfection but a little moment..._' She spoke slowly, giving each word the respect that such a poem deserved. But, before she could continue he stopped her, holding his hand out to halt her next words.

Ryan huffed out. 'That's still about love.'

'Yeah, because Shakespeare didn't really write anything other than love. He wrote about love for his mistress, his friends, and his rivals. Actually, he even wrote about self-love.' She couldn't help the grin that broke out on her face saying the last bit.

'See.' Ryan smirked as he argued. 'That's what I said in the first place. Give me the book, I'll read one to you.' Ryan said. Not waiting for a reply, he snatched the small book out of her hands. Seeing her pout and give him a deer-caught-in-the-headlights look, he grinned inwardly. He knew she was surprised with his sudden interest in wanting to get along with her, wanting to get close to her. But, he was tired of pretending that he didn't care about her. He didn't have to always pretend to hate her, did he? Especially when they were alone. Even if she rejected his advances, at least no one would be there to witness it. So, it was okay to be doing this. 'Okay, I've found one. You'll probably like this since you're a girl.' He smirked, cheekily.

Sara rolled her eyes at his comment. 'Whatever.' Without thinking, she moved from where she was sat beside him resting against the headboard to climbing between his spread legs. Her need for contact was so strong that she didn't even think he might not want to be close to her like this.

It wasn't a shock to find her between his legs all of a sudden. She'd been on edge since the morning. He couldn't blame her for wanting comfort and contact as she never got it from anywhere else. He pulled her closer into his arms and held out the book in front of both of them. Not being able to help himself, he smiled with joy when she nuzzled against him and shut her eyes, sighing contently. Making a dare-devil decision, he kissed her earlobe and then whispered in her ear. '"_My love is as a fever, longing still... For that which longer nurseth the disease..._' He moved down to press a kiss onto the spot of her neck where he could feel her pulse beating against his lips, and slid his free hand down to rest on her belly. Hearing a moan escape her made him very happy. it was all the encouragement he needed to carry on with his touches. '"_Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill, Th' uncertain sickly appetite to please... My reason, the physician to my love, Angry that his prescriptions are not kept..._' He brushed the straps of her tank top on her shoulders, letting his breath ghost over the exposed skin and hands slowly running over her knee, moving to her naked leg and finally up to the fabric of her boxers. '"_Hath left me, and I desperate now approve, Desire is death, which physic did except... Past cure I am, now reason is past care, And frantic-mad with evermore unrest... My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are, At random from the truth vainly express'd..._'

Sara gasped in pleasure. She felt heat pool in her stomach. 'Ryan, what are you...' She broke off when he shushed her with a kiss to her exposed neck. She moaned, feeling sleepy and relaxed all at the same time. Touch could do that to you.

Sara's reactions to his seduction encouraged Ryan to go on. He wondered whether she was even paying attention to the words, the meaning of the words because he needed her to listen. He did not ask her, though. Instead, he turned her around and on her back so that she was lying on the mattress and he was on top of her. Her eyes were shut and she was biting her lower lip to refrain from moaning. '"_For I have sworn thee fair and thought thee bright..._' He whispered, his voice barely audible as Sara gasped again. '"_Who art as black as hell, as dark as night_."'

A yawn coming from Sara broke the moment. 'Sorry, I'm just really sleepy all of a sudden.'

He chuckled at her innocent confession. 'Yeah? Let's go to sleep then.' Putting the book on the bedside table, he switched the light off and moved them so they were both laying on the bed. He spooned himself with her and hugged her from behind. Her resulting purring made his heart fill with warmth and he loved the feeling...never wanted it to go away.


	38. Chapter 38

**A/N; Thanks to everyone who has put this under their fav or alert... i love you guys for your support and hope you continue to support this story...sorry for late update, my muse abandoned me i'm writing without her...hope you enjoy this chapter, i wanted it a little longer but i realise i need to get something out to you guys...reviews are love so pls review they motivate me to write...5/6 more chps to go, yay...xxxxx**

Chapter 38 -

A month had passed since the eventful, classified defense meeting that had left Max and Cece fuming at Alec's proposed battle plans. Not a lot had changed since then. The nation's top male combat soldiers still patrolled the border, without any conflict and Alec still made plans for the supposed impending invasion, without any confirmation.

Presently, Max and Alec were working in their office, both engrossed in their separate logistical tasks. It was just after noon. Having had their lunch early, they had just gotten back to work after giving Ale, their PA, the clear instruction to not let anyone disturb them unless it was important.

'Alec, don't you think Zeva was acting strange this morning?' Max absently asked, not taking her eyes off her papers. Her daughter's recent behaviour had been troubling her for some time now. She hadn't acknowledged it before because she had thought it was probably Cade's fault. But, now she wasn't so sure.

Alec looked up from where he was typing an important e-mail on his laptop. 'Random much?' He smirked at his mate's snort. 'Yeah, I noticed. What do you think is up with her?' He finally responded to Max's enquiry, a little miffed at his inability to get under her skin enough to garner a verbal match from her by his initial cheeky reply.

Before Max could tell him her thoughts regarding Zeva's sudden behavioral change, their office door was nearly pushed off its hinges as the topic of their talk herself walked in. It was a confident stride, a walk of an alpha. Ale followed her in. 'Sorry, guys. I...I told her to knock.' Their PA stuttered and gave them an apologetic look.

'It's okay, Ale. You can get back to your work.' Alec smiled at the nervous female. The female promptly left, though she did glare at Zeva's back for a full second before closing the door behind her. After exchanging a quick look with Max, Alec focused his entire attention on his wide-eyed, excited daughter who had sat herself down opposite him without waiting to be told to do so. She definitely was a daughter of the Alpha pack. Her actions made his heart fill with pride and he wished his other daughters would develop the same strength and confidence that she possessed as they grew older. 'Zeva, what...' He began but was cut off.

'Daddy, the war isn't gonna happen.' Zeva blurted out. On the way to the office, she had played out the conversation in her head. She had practiced and planned what she was gonna say to her parents. She had wanted to get straight to the point with them but she hadn't intended to be so blunt about it. Knowing full well that her statement will be met by confusion now, she tried to do damage control. 'No one can go to war.'

'What?' Was the simultaneous question that escaped the befuddled adults.

Zeva cleared her throat and sat back in the chair. Nerves overcame her all of a sudden and she found herself tongue-tied for a moment. A moment that seemed to stretch as her parents waited for her to answer, staring at her with an astonished gaze all the while. She tried to calm herself down and collect her thoughts as best as she could because she knew she needed to explain herself soon. Her parents were patient most of the time but they were known to lose it when in dire situations and everyone, no matter how patient, had a limit and she was approaching that limit or maybe she was at the tip of the edge. 'Erm...I said, the war isn't happening.' She repeated slowly, giving the two adults her best smile.

'Zeva, what are you talking about? Are you okay, honey?' Max asked in a concerned tone. She was having doubts about Zeva's state of mind. After all her kid had been through a big event in her life maybe that had a lasting effect on her in mental terms.

'Maxie, let Zeva explain herself properly.' Alec gave Max a pointed look. 'Zeva, I want you to tell us what you mean.' He said this to Zeva, reaching forward to rest his elbows on the table in front of him . 'In full detail.' He added, raising his brow at his daughter.

'Okay, erm...I can do this.' Zeva said this more for her own sake than the other occupants of the room. She took a deep breath and then began her already-prepared explanation. 'Well, as you know, for the past four weeks or so I've been working with Suzuki. The job, which by the way I love, is all about money markets of the world and all I have to do is predict money flow. So, as you can imagine, I am in a good position to know the monetary activities of every nation who trades. And, I'll tell you there's not many who don't.' She stopped to see if her parents were actually listening to her. They were and they looked annoyed. It was time to get to the point before they decided they'd heard enough. But, before she could continue, her Daddy let out an incredulous laugh.

'I'm glad you like the job. I can see your passionate about it. However, your Mom and I have important things to do so can we talk about your love for the money markets at home.' Alec got up from where he was seated, with the intention to walk his enthusiastic daughter out.

'Dad, please sit down!' Zeva gave an involuntary exclamation. At once she felt bad for making it sound like she was ordering her Daddy. However, this wasn't a time to think about bruised egos, she had to make them understand. Hesitating only momentarily, she declared. 'There's a point to all this.'

'What is the point?' As soon as the words left Max's mouth, she felt guilty. She knew she had been harsh in her tone. She hadn't meant to be. She rushed to right the wrong she thought she had committed. 'Zeva, baby, honey, please make us understand.'

Zeva felt relief flood her at her mother's reassurance. 'Mummy, Daddy, I thought I should start from the start in order to explain everything properly that's why I was telling you about the job. Anyway, what I came here to tell you is that there will be no wars because no country can afford to go to war.' She murmured, her excitement had left her by now.

Alec hadn't expected to hear this. 'What do you mean? Last time I checked, America had proposed a 650 billion dollar defense budget for this year alone.' He exchanged a glance with Max, who was currently chewing on her bottom lip and playing with the long-forgotten papers in her hand.

'Yeah, I know. However, that budget will need to be reviewed within a month or so because according to my calculations, the global money markets will be in trouble within the next few weeks.' Zeva smiled a goofy smile, feeling quite happy with herself for being able to deduct this information from the data. Well, she was the only one who had figured it out. Suzuki sure as hell couldn't analyse the market the way she did. The revelation from her had piqued the interest of her parents, she could easily see.

'What's going to happen in a few weeks?' Max was curious now.

'The housing market is about to crash in all the major markets of the world, which can only mean one thing. When that happens, the banks will be in serious trouble because they have a lot of money invested in that industry. Businesses won't be able to pay the interests the banks will demand in their panic to get to normal cash-flow levels. Many businesses owe money to the banks and not being able to pay off their debts will force many businesses to shut down, leading to high levels of unemployment. All this will make banks up-tight so they won't lend money to anyone until their own finances are in order or they feel they have some sort of guarantee of payment. Add to this the fact that because of all this chaos, the stock markets will crash almost over-night, then the G20 will have no choice but to intervene. They will have to save their economies which will be in heavy debt due to temporary shut-down of normal monetary activity and other failings of the major global banks'. Zeva explained in detail, though she probably got too carried away in her explanation, judging by the way her parents were both gaping at her.

'Oookaay...' Alec couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. 'What does Suzuki have to say about your theory, kiddo?' He smiled at her. He hadn't meant to question her capabilities, to insult her. Nevertheless, that's exactly how she seemed to take it. Because, the next moment she was out of her chair, eyes blazing something fierce and an expression of outrage marring her otherwise excited face. Alec gaped at her in surprise and saw Max doing the same.

'Hell would freeze over before I'd need his opinion about my numbers.' Was Zeva's quip. 'Daddy, I checked and applied my theory numerous times before coming here to tell you and Mommy about it. Don't you believe me, and why are you calling it a theory anyway? It's a fact that will happen. And, I can't wait till it does. Then you'll know I'm right.' She was furious. Before she could say anything else she might regret in her anger, she chose to leave. Marching up to the door, she ignored her parents calls for her to come back and left with a 'I'll prove it.' muttered under her breath.

Seeing his daughter leave, Alec came out of his half-trance and let out a tired groan. He really hadn't meant to hurt his kid's feelings. Grabbing hold of the phone, he called Suzuki. 'Hey Suzu, can you come to my office immediately.' Not waiting for an answer, he ended the call with a sigh. Until then he hadn't dared to touch Max. He hadn't wanted to feel her reaction to everything that had taken place moments ago in the room. Having said that, the truth was he already knew what she was feeling or he thought he knew. 'Maxie, I had to...' But he went silent when he saw Max's face change. Her eyes lit up ,wide in wonder and a brilliant, joyous smile graced her beautiful face. 'What?' He huffed out in bewilderment at this sudden change in her.

Max felt as though her life-force had been restored at Zeva's claims. If her child was right then it meant she had nothing to worry about. Her nation would be safe, her people would be safe. 'Alec, don't you realize how big this is? If Zeva's analysis is true then we are safe. Deania won't be at risk if there's no war. This is great news.' In her happiness, she got out of her chair and moved behind Alec's chair so she could hug him to calm his anxiety. 'You do believe her, don't you?' She asked, hope gleaming in her eyes.

'Maxie, I don't know... I mean, yes I do believe her. But, she might have gotten carried away in her calculations. She just started doing this a month ago. She's hardly an expert in the field. We'll just have to talk to Suzuki and see what he has to say about it.' Alec shifted in his chair to rest his head on his mate's chest. A moment later, a loud knock sounded on their office door. Alec grinned when Max hastily went back to her seat and slapped him lightly, taking offense at his amusement in regards to her behaviour. Not taking any notice of Max's hot glare, he called out. 'Suzu, come in.'

The self-styled playboy of the nation entered the room in his usual swagger. 'Max.' He pointedly smirked at the alpha female in greetings before levelling his cool gaze at the alpha male of the nation. 'Alec, you called me.' He opted to sit on one of the comfy couches rather than a chair. Sitting on a chair nearly all day could do that to a person, ordinary or transgenic.

'Yeah, we need to talk to you about something.' Max started, curtly. She didn't particularly like the male. As far as her opinion was concerned, he was an arrogant and stupid male who thought his way of life was the best when it was the worst. He was a male who had no female, a profane man in their race, a rarity. 'How's our daughter doing in the job we assigned her?' She pointedly emphasised the daughter bit, to remind the guy who he was facing.

'Good. She is awesome with numbers. A true genius. You should be proud of her.' Suzuki supplied the answer, truthfully. Max's tone wasn't lost on him. It had been a warning. He didn't expect anything less from possibly the scariest female in the planet, in terms of bitchiness not the looks.

Meeting Max's eyes and seeing her silent permission, Alec continued with the questions. 'We are proud of her. That's not what we called you here for. The thing is, Zeva was just in our office and she said some things. We wanted to ask you about it.' Alec stated, keeping it vague. He found it entertaining to see other males sweat over presumed reasons, like Suzuki had started doing.

Suzuki let out an involuntary whimper. What the hell had that little witch been saying about him. She better not have made something up just to get him in trouble. But, she was the chosen female of that spoilt brat, Cade. He must've told her to say something bad about him. And, she would if her beloved boy said it. 'What has she been saying about me, because whatever it is it's not true I swear.'

'Chillax, Suzu. Zeva came here to talk about the financial markets.' Alec said. He couldn't help the amusement he felt at the reaction from the transgenic male. Moving closer to Max, he eyed Suzuki. The math whiz looked curious but there was also the hint of fear in his eyes. And, Alec thought he smelt the fear too. 'According to our daughter, the financial market looks in ruins. She thinks that within a month or so, all world super-powers will be in debt so unlikely to be able to afford an assault on any other foreign territories.' Despite his perfect and eidetic memory, he didn't give the exact explanation that his eldest kid had given him.

Zeva couldn't quite believe it, but she should have known. Adults could be so annoying sometimes. Despite her insistence, her parents didn't seem to think her words had any merit, although that was the very reason she had voiced her 'theory' as her Dad had so quickly labelled it. And, it didn't help her mood any that they were going to ask Suzuki's opinion about the whole matter as she had just found out to her much chagrin. She had been making her way back to her work-station, the conversation with her parents playing itself over and over again in her head like a broken record, when she had found herself being called by the bane of her existence.

'Hey, Zeva. I have to go so log my computer off, okay.' Suzuki had chirped.

She had simply nodded in reply, hoping the male would realize that she was in a bad mood and leave her without further irritating her. But, she wasn't so lucky. Because the next thing that came out of the philanderer's mouth, made her wish she hadn't seen him on the way as now all she could see was red. Because, what he told her then made her blood boil.

'Alec just called me to his office. I wonder what's it about, hey. Anyway, I should hurry. See ya.' The bastard had said, making her choke on her breath, giving her his standard wink and grinning at her a shit-eating grin before leaving. How dare he? Why the hell was her Dad calling the half-wit to his office? No doubt it had something to do with her. The rebellious, stubborn part of her wanted her to follow, demanded her to follow the male to the little rendez-vous and bear witness, but she quenched her thirst for the launch of such an act of open attack towards her parents' decision. In that instant, she realized she had to find another way to make them see that she was right. Having made the decision to find the way, she started to think about how she could achieve her aim. She wasn't certain of the course of action she should take. However, she was certain about one thing and that was that she sure as hell wasn't going to rest until she found the way. Another thing she was sure about was that she would find the solution to her problem very soon.


	39. Chapter 39

**A/N; Thanks to all those who reviewed and have been waiting for this update...I apologise to all for being so late, I had the flu so was mostly in and out of bed this past fortnight...So, without further ado I give you a long and awesome chapter... **

Chapter 39 -

Listening to Suzuki rant about his meeting with her parents had really pissed Zeva off. The smug bastard had the audacity to rub it in her face that her parents had wanted his opinion about her so-called theories. As if he could ever explain any of them anyway, she had thought resentfully but had kept her mouth shut as she was subjected to this new kind of torture that was putting up with the infuriating dickwit who dared mock her like this. She had to put up with him out of respect for her parents. And if that wasn't the only reason then she kept quiet because, unknowingly the self-serving egotist, in his pride, had let slip the precise details about the conversation he'd had with her parents which included his ideas on how she could go about proving her theory right. According to him, all she would need to do to get evidence was to get hold of the accounts and balance sheets of all the major banking corporations and organizations in the world.

When she had heard him say this, she had nearly jumped in apparent joy and triumph as this was the very idea she had been harbouring and thinking over in her mind. She'd vowed to find the solution, the evidence to prove herself right and now she had no doubt she had found the answer to her problem because though she abhorred Suzuki and his mannerisms, she knew that, after herself, he was the only one who could have come up with a logical and reasonable solution as to the problem of how one could go about putting her theory of financial meltdown to some test.

That was the moment of epiphany for her. At once, she realized that her initial idea of stealing classified information from other governments was exactly what she would have to do as it had now become imperative to obtain the knowledge she sought because now she had a second-opinion for her secret plans however unintentional that opinion may have been. She knew she couldn't tell anyone about her plans. She needed to operate under the cover of secrecy because her parents wouldn't allow her to do it otherwise. She was sure of this. She could hardly discuss with them something they had dismissed so bluntly. No, she'd do this herself, quietly. All she needed to do was to gather data on the World Monetary Fund, Lehman brothers, JP Morgan, HSBC and US Federal Reserve and that should do it. How hard could it be? She found out soon enough.

Physically breaking into a major global bank was hard enough but it seemed virtually hacking into the security systems of major global banks was nearly impossible due to multiple defence barriers. Such tight security was the only reason Zeva had had no luck so far, even after spending seven hours tapping away at multiple keys. After trying to break through an awfully solid firewall for a few times, she gave up. Sighing dejectedly, she gazed blankly at her computer monitor wishing it to stop flashing the **enter - password key**. She was kind of annoyed with herself for not being able to do her job completely, to a full capacity and needing outside help. But, who was she kidding. If she didn't get help then this was the screen she would be staring at for a very long time. Wasting her time on something she knew she wasn't good at wasn't going to help her so she decided it was best to leave it to a specialist. And with that thought, she started to weigh her options regarding the specialist in question. In the end, she came to the conclusion that she only had two people she could ask the help of, Cade or Sara.

Immediately, her heart and mind was set on Sara. Although Cade was great at hacking, her instincts told her what she already knew, to keep the male out of this. This was her job so it had nothing to do with him. He was part of her personal life, not a part of her professional life and that's how she needed to keep it. Anyway, giving him the job would mean having to answer a lot of unnecessary questions and having to deal with his moods which she had no time for.

With renewed purpose she got up from the chair she had occupied for hours, giving her a sore backside and left the room in search of Sara.

Quarter of an hour later, Zeva had found Sara in the toilets and had accompanied her back to her computer room. Having explained her presence to the younger transgenic, she sat back in the spinning chair. 'So, can you do it for me?' She asked in a hopeful tone, a cheesy smile plastered to her otherwise worried face.

'I don't really know. Maybe.' Sara answered truthfully.

'Please. At least try.' Zeva insisted. She was pleading with her hands held together, showing Sara that she was wholeheartedly praying for the request to be granted. 'It's very important to me.' She hastily added, knowing her friend had no chance of refusing her wish now.

Sara sat back in her chair and began to mull over the various possibilities concerning her friend's request. After a moment, she hesitantly nodded with a smile gracing her face. 'Okay. I will try my very best to do what your asking of me. It will take a lot of time and energy but I can't see why I can't get you the information you need if I'm persistent with my onslaught on their systems. But, you need to be aware that I can't guarantee anything.' She hoped her reply was of satisfaction to the female.

This answer made the older female squeal in delight. 'Awesome. Sara, if you do this for me I'll owe you like proper big forever. I know you're going to go to so much trouble on my behalf but I swear I'll make it up to you. Just be careful about one thing though, this is a top secret project. You can only discuss your findings with me. No one should get the whiff of this.' Zeva clarified.

Sara merely nodded in agreement. Zeva could hardly contain her excitement, barely remaining in her seat which was dangerously teetering to one side, next to Sara's work table.

Zeva's heart had been set on recruiting Sara on her crusade from the get-go so now it meant an awful lot to her that her friend didn't let her down, had actually agreed to the job. She was well aware of the hardship of the task she was giving the younger, pregnant female having spent all day trying her own hand at it but she also had immense faith in Sara's ability and believed her friend would accomplish what she herself couldn't.

Sara, all of a sudden, found herself being the target of such fierce adoration and loyalty that it nearly took her breath away. Usually, she felt these kind of emotions coming off her parents when she was with them but this was different. Being at the receiving end of such feelings coming from a member of another pack was unfamiliar to her, yet the feeling didn't unsettle her but rather made her feel warm and happy inside. It was a feeling of belonging, a feeling of being loved for who you were.

The two females shared an unspoken significant moment, as their glowing eyes met and held in a mutual respect and lips curled in silent smiles. The moment was only broken when the incessant vibration of a cell phone sounded. It was Zeva's phone.

'Yeah, what?' Zeva barked out, annoyed. She didn't bother looking for caller ID because she just wasn't in the mood.

'Hey...erm...I just called...erm...are you okay?' Cade's nervous reply came from the other end as he seemed to shift around.

Zeva didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. Here she was trying her best to do a good job of the job she was handed by her Daddy and Cade was wasting his time, time he should be spending on his work, calling her up just to ask if she was okay. The asshole. 'Yeah, I'm okay. Is that what you called for because it better not be or you're gonna be visited by hell itself.' She smirked in an evil way when she saw Sara give her a wide-eyed incredulous look.

There was a sigh from the other end and then Ryan said something in the background which was too low and unintelligible for the two females to hear properly. Another sigh a moment later sounded and then, 'I called cause I was wondering if you'd like to go out for dinner tonight.' Cade finally murmured out loud enough for everyone present to hear.

Sara gasped and then clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from giving her reactions away any further. This wasn't lost on Zeva who raised an eyebrow in question at Sara but didn't get any answer to her silent inquiry. So, instead she focused her attention back at the cell phone which she had momentarily forgotten about. 'Why, is there no food at home?' She didn't understand what Cade was on about. Why was he asking her about dinner? 'We can order from Neo's.'

'No...I mean...yes...I mean. Look, what I am trying to say is that we should go out to eat. You know, just you and me. Alone.' Cade sounded glum and hopeful, all at the same time.

Zeva didn't still understand what food had to do with them needing to be alone but seeing Sara signalling her to agree by nodding her head like she had some sort of machine giving her electric currents in the head made her say, 'Yeah, okay.'

A squeal which sounded so much like a girl's was the next sound that drifted over the phone but it was soon replaced by the very masculine voice that Zeva knew too well and loved so much. 'Great. Be ready for seven. I'll be home to pick you up.' Cade said and ended the call without waiting for her response.

Sara couldn't stop herself any longer. She jumped out of her chair in delight and quickly engulfed Zeva in a tight hug. 'You're going on your first date. This is so exciting.' She clapped her hands together like a kid in a candy shop.

'Wh...what the h...hell? D...date?' Zeva barely stuttered out as she glared at Sara for acting really weird. What had gotten into the girl? Where was her sensible and wise friend? Because, the Sara in front of her was surely someone else. Sara wouldn't act like this. And, what's a date anyway?

In her own enthusiasm for the subject, Sara failed to notice Zeva's confusion. 'So, what are you gonna wear? You need to look pretty. I mean, you're already pretty but you need to look extra pretty, your very best.' She said matter-of-factly. Not getting any reaction from Zeva, she looked at the female properly and saw that her friend had a bewildered look marring her otherwise confident and sure face.

Sara belatedly realized that Zeva was acting angry because she was confused. In that instant, it became crystal clear to her that the older female didn't know what a date was. Sara retreated back to her own seat and then gave Zeva an apologetic look. 'Sorry, I didn't know that you don't know anything about dates.' Getting another pointed glare from Zeva, Sara sighed. 'I can tell you everything that I know which mind you isn't much since I have never been to one myself but the information might help you a little. Just, can you first stop looking at me like you wanna kill me?'

Hearing Sara's timid request, Zeva blushed crimson of embarrassment. She hadn't realized she'd been staring the female down and pulling rank. She was sure, Sara must've felt threatened to some extent as she was carrying a child and having a stronger alpha's glare trained at her would've kicked her instincts into over-drive. But, surprisingly the young mother hadn't shown any signs of aggressiveness or fear. Instead, she had just calmly handled the situation. It spoke volumes of Sara's trust in her and she felt honoured to have her friend's confidence in her like this. 'Sorry, I didn't mean...' She was cut off before she could finish her apology.

'It's okay. I know you weren't trying to threaten me so I controlled my instincts.' Sara smiled at Zeva to show that they were still cool, still best friends. She hadn't taken offence of Zeva's behaviour. 'Now, about the date.'

At the mention of the date, Zeva huffed out petulantly and rolled her eyes heavenward. Other than Sara's obvious interest in the subject, she couldn't find a good enough reason as to why they should be wasting their time discussing something which wasn't that important. 'Sara, we should get back to work. Systems won't hack themselves.' She tried to draw the usually meek female's attention back to their earlier conversation but to no avail, much to her chagrin.

Sara ignored Zeva's resistance to talk about the impending date. She was bursting to tell her how important the occasion truly was since her friend didn't seem to know of its importance. She felt obliged to tell Zeva everything she knew. 'Zeva, this is your first date with Cade. It's important that you know the significance of this event. He'll expect you to know about it.'

Hearing this, Zeva instinctively perked her ears up in interest. 'He'll expect me to know what? Sara, what are you freaking on about?' She sighed in her annoyance. She hated not understanding things and if she was honest then she'd admit to also being impatient. Sara taking her time over explaining, what a freaking date was, wasn't helping her mood any.

'When a male really likes a female in a romantic way then he asks her out on a date. Well, that's what ordinaries do. But, Alec and Max used to go on dates when they first became a couple so some other transgenic couples started going on dates too. My Mom and Dad used to, still do, sometimes.' Sara took a pause and smiled at the pouty face Zeva was making.

Zeva still didn't get it. Why all the fuss about having dinner together when it was such a natural act. They ate dinner together everyday. 'So, dating is eating food together.' She nearly laughed at her own statement, her conclusion. It sounded pathetic.

'No. It means spending some time away from pack, family, and friends doing things that the male and female both like. Well, that's what ordinaries do anyway.' Sara shrugged. She hoped Zeva didn't ask her anything else because she didn't really know anything else. Her limited knowledge was courtesy of the internet and the entertainment industry.

Zeva held her head in her hands and then huffed out her irritation as her right eye twitched in nervous energy. 'I don't want to freaking know about ordinaries. We're transgenics for heaven's sake. I wanna know, what am I supposed to do now?' She whined in realization that she didn't have a clue of anything. 'What am I gonna wear?' She asked in a panic.

Sara felt a mixture of happiness for her friend and sadness for herself as she saw the different emotions flitting in Zeva's eyes. Zeva was so lucky to have a male who loved her and wanted to go on a date with her. 'You look gorgeous in anything. But, I was thinking you know that blue dress and the matching shoes you bought last week. You should wear them. The colour matches your eyes so beautifully. Also wear your usual diamond studs and the bracelet Cade gave you and I'm telling you Cade is gonna faint when he sees you.' Sara was satisfied with the suggestion she'd made.

'Really, you think?' Zeva asked, feeling uncertain. She'd bought that outfit on a whim.

Sara nodded. 'Trust me.'

'I do.' Zeva beamed at her friend who in the past few months had become more like a sister to her.

Looking at time on her computer screen bar, Sara uttered a yelp. 'Zeva, you need to go home and start getting ready. Cade said he'll be there to get you at seven.' She reached forward in her chair and started to pull the older female out of her chair. 'Come on, get up.'

Grudgingly, Zeva got up and then begged. 'Sara, please come with me. You can help me get ready.'

Sara shook her head. 'Zeva, you don't need me there. And anyway I have so much work to do here. I need to get started on cracking those firewalls you need me to get through.' She felt conflicted as she said this. She wanted to go and help her friend to get ready for her first date but she also felt that by going along she would only be getting in the way. 'Mila and Lima will be home so they'll help you get ready.' She added politely.

'No, they'll be at Josh's until late. Lyla and Kyla will be there too. Josh is throwing a little painting party for the kids who are interested in art.' Zeva noted Sara's silent nod as she continued. 'I thought you knew.'

'The girls don't tell me much.' Sara admitted sadly.

Zeva felt a pang of pain course through her at the sad and depressed tone Sara was using. 'They love you. Believe me, they wouldn't want any other female for Ryan. It's just their still too young to understand complex matters so their instincts are confused. They see Ryan treating you the way he treats you and they don't know what to do then.' She tried to reassure her friend. What she was telling Sara was the truth. She knew her sisters, all four of them, loved Sara like a big sister and wanted Ryan to make her pack.

'Yeah, I know.' Sara agreed, knowing Zeva wouldn't leave unless she was sure that she was gonna be okay. 'I love them too.' She made a show of tapping on her keyboard, getting back into the screen of the traffic terminal she had been trying to hack into before Zeva's visit, in the hopes that the older female would take the hint to let her get on with her work.

Sara's sudden interest in her computer would have been funny to Zeva if she hadn't known how the younger, emotional female was really feeling. Looking at Sara, she could tell her friend wanted to be left alone. She also knew that feeling very well. Deciding that it would be better to pretend she hadn't noticed Sara's glum mood, Zeva headed for the exit to the room. 'I'll let you get on with your work. Go home on time, don't work yourself too hard. And, Sara, thanks for everything. I'll see ya later.' She left before she changed her mind and started hassling Sara about her true feelings.

Two hours later, Zeva was sat in her room, ready for the date. It was nearly seven and Cade was going to be at home any minute now. She was so nervous. She felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach due to her hyped emotions. Hearing the entrance door to the penthouse open, Zeva jumped up from her bed and walked out of her bedroom.

Cade came to a stop outside his bedroom door when his eyes fell on the drop dead gorgeous beauty that had just emerged from the room next door to his own. He exhaled and let out a low approving whistle. 'Hey. You look beautiful.' Zeva blushing and biting her lower lip was the response he got. 'I just need to take a quick shower and change then we'll go.' He said, opening his bedroom door to grab some clean clothes and his towel. When he got back to the hallway, he found Zeva gone. Peeking into the living room confirmed his belief that she had decided to wait for him there.

Zeva found herself becoming increasingly apprehensive as Cade took his time getting ready. After waiting for exactly sixteen minutes, she was presented with the the most breathtaking sight and smell as Cade strolled in the room with a grin on his face. She noted that, clad fully in black clothes, he had made an effort to dress up for the occasion just like she had. 'Are we eating at Neo's place?' She asked to kill the awkward silence that had descended on them as she couldn't bear it any longer.

'You'll see.' Was all Cade's reply. He wanted to keep their date a surprise so he wasn't tell her anything yet. As the couple made their way out of their building, Cade made a grab for Zeva's hand and linked their fingers together. Then, he started to guide her towards the private stretch of beach that belonged to Ryan and himself. He smiled at Zeva's sudden reaction of awe when she saw the picnic that he had already set up for them.

'Cade...this...what...' Zeva was speechless. The way Cade had set up the picnic was so cute. He had placed food, flowers, plates and glasses as well as napkins on a massive blanket. And, for lighting he had used so many strategically-placed candles that she couldn't count them without losing concentration.

'You like it?' Cade questioned, hoping that she loved the set-up. He had tried so hard to make it romantic.

'It's beautiful.' Zeva beamed a smile at him to put him at ease. She could tell he was nervous too. She willingly sat down beside him on the blanket as he directed her to. 'Sara said this is a date. I don't know anything about them. It's my first.' Damn. What the hell did she just say that for? She seriously needed to calm the fuck down.

'Don't worry. It's my first date too. So we're even.' Cade confessed. He leaned forward and buried his nose in her throat after kissing on her cheek. 'I love your scent.' He moved his mouth on her pulse on her neck and kissed her again.

Zeva couldn't help the moans from escaping her as Cade nuzzled her with his nose and kissed her. Her instincts were telling her to expose her neck further to him and nuzzle him back. Listening to her inner voice, she did just that and a moment later was lying down on the blanket with a very aroused Cade on top of her. 'Cade...' She breathed out as the smell surrounding them became strong. Cade's eyes were glowing and she was sure hers were the same. She didn't fight what she was feeling. She let her instincts take over as Cade's touches became more intimate.

Suddenly, Cade realized the situation, realized how out of control things were getting and quickly pulled back. Sitting up, he looked out at the ocean and tried to calm his breathing as he collected his thoughts. He'd nearly lost it just then. He fucking felt so horny around Zeva. It was inexplicable, this feeling. But, he couldn't go all the way with her, not yet, not here. 'The ocean is so nice at this time in the evening with the sun setting.' He busied himself with taking the food out of the basket he'd borrowed from Neo when he bought the food. 'The flowers are for you. You like roses?'

'Yeah, they're beautiful.' Zeva's heart was still beating faster than usual and she felt a little breathless from the kisses and touches. She didn't understand why he suddenly stopped with his seduction but she felt kind of relieved that he had. She didn't know if she was ready. She did know one thing for sure though which was that she didn't want her first time to be like this out in the open where anyone could come and see.

'We can eat now and then I want to show you something.' Cade stated, giving her a gentle smile. She was going love seeing the stars with the new telescope he'd bought for her as a present, he was sure of it. Watching her give him shy looks and genuine smiles, he felt like the happiest person in the whole universe. He wouldn't be surprised if he was.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40 -

Wiping the sleep out of her eyes and yawning noisily, Max walked into the bedroom of her 8 yrs old twin daughters. She stretched out her arms over her head and murmured a curse under her breath as her muscles silently screamed out from the lack of rest. Her body was so exhausted and tense, she felt shattered. She'd had a hell of a night, literally.

Knowing that Cade and Zeva were on their first date, she hadn't been able to sleep or rest that well. Not until they got back home anyway, which was well past midnight. Her problem wasn't exactly that they were on a date but rather that they didn't tell her about the date themselves. This fact alone pissed her off to no end. It wasn't like their relationship was a secret or something anyway. They acted like a couple all the time now so it left her befuddled as to why they had gone to such great lengths to hide the truth, their alone-time.

She'd found out about it by coincidence. She had been on the way to see Mole in his office at command when she happened to pass one of Neo's males telling another male about Cade's food order and his requirements regarding the delivery. She'd listened in to the males' chat and then had resumed her task, not paying mind to what she'd heard until she came home to find an empty house and a note pinned to the fridge in Cade's hand-writing that said;

_**Mom, **_

_**The girls are at Josh's so Zeva and I thought we'll grab something to eat from out. Don't wait up for us. We might go to see Ryan and Sara.**_

If she hadn't already heard the young males in command talking about Cade, Max wouldn't have really thought that her kids were on a date. She would've taken Cade's word as the truth because she trusted what he said. She wouldn't have thought he might have lied. However, after knowing what she knew, she couldn't help but feel angry and let down. Immediately after reading the note, she felt the trust ebbing away. She really wanted to know the cause for Cade's apparent secrecy regarding the things he did with Zeva. She had never wanted her kids to be so open with her that they thought they could discuss sex or other awkward subjects with her in ease but she had always encouraged them in their upbringing to at least be honest with her in what they got up to. Her mind couldn't come up with any plausible reason why her kids would want to hide the fact that they were on a date and Alec admitted he couldn't think of a reason why they would want to hide it from them either when she had discussed this new development with him. All evening, as she had spent some alone-time with Alec and then when the girls had come back home, she hadn't stopped in her quest to understand the perspective of her older kids. She really wanted to know their reasons and she hoped it wasn't what her traitorous mind kept coming up with.

Her mind kept up a steady stream of ideas flowing through her head. The only reason for her colourful imagination coming up with such reasons was because she knew of Cade's less than admirable traits. He was an opportunistic, experienced, and selfish alpha playboy. It was downright suspicious, this date that he had planned. Recognizing the bitter truth of this, she had spent most evening and night silently praying her son wasn't dumb enough to try to do something with Zeva that he shouldn't do at this stage of the young couple's courting. As far as she was concerned, her blue-eyed baby girl wasn't ready for what her green-eyed son might have in mind.

Max's stomach had continuously churned at these thoughts and her head had ached most of the night. She hadn't really been surprised at her body's reaction to her over-thinking about something , a fear, that was embedded in her maternal instincts. Instead of sleeping, she'd spent the best part of the night listening to Alec snore peacefully beside her as she twisted and turned in his arms. Because of this very fact, she was not in a good mood this morning. It wasn't like she got much sleep anyway, thanks to her damn genes, but at least whenever she did sleep she had never before felt so anxious and restless due to her kids. Whilst he was awake, Alec had tried his best to calm her and to help her sleep with the help of his touch but it hadn't worked.

Since Lima was nowhere to be seen in the room, Max directly went over to Mila's bed and yanked at the covers. To say that this angered Mila was an understatement, the little girl growled in a feral way and fisted her tiny hands in utter fury. 'Mila, wake up. I am not in the mood for your temper tantrums today.' Max warned her youngest daughter.

'Go away. Let me sleep. I hate this place I can never get a good night's sleep. It's like a bad horrific nightmare, living here.' Mila shut her eyes and buried herself under her bed cover after pulling it back over herself.

Max couldn't believe it. Hell, no, who was she kidding? She could believe it. Mila loved her sleep so it wasn't really that much of a shock that her cute baby was prepared to argue with her over her precious downtime. But, the kid usually knew when not to push it. Despite being identical to her older sister, by minutes, Mila was the opposite in personality traits to Lima. Her pissy attitude slightly alarmed Max as Mila was usually good-natured even when angry. She was more likely to cry and whine than actually yell at someone. Especially when she'd clearly warned her little girl that she was in a bad mood. Today it seemed Mila wasn't feeling so obedient and was willing to take the risk to unleash her wrath. This frustrated Max, as she didn't need this right now. That spark she had caught in her innocent child's eyes before her youngest baby had covered herself in her blankets only meant one thing, Mila had decided to resist authority.

However, Max was aware of the methods of dealing with acts of rebellion as she'd had to deal with Cade's rebel phase in his first years of adolescence. 'Mila, I'm not going to repeat myself again. I'm going to wake the others up now but when I come back you better be up. And, if you're not out of bed by the time I come back I swear on everything I hold dear that this year Lima's birthday presents will be better than yours in every way. I will not think of equality and I won't care about complaints.' She huffed out and then crossed her arms over her chest in exasperation. 'Understood?' A pang of guilt consumed her heart when Mila raised her head over the blankets and looked up at her with watery eyes, nodding and chewing her bottom lip. Max wanted to pull her baby in her arms and assure the sensitive darling that she wasn't the only one who was lacking sleep. She needed sleep too but she was up on time and she wasn't complaining about it so Mila should follow her lead. But, she didn't give Mila a hug or assurance, instead she just turned her back to her. She couldn't be a weak mother. The kids already took advantage of Alec's openness and care-free soft nature.

Leaving the girls' room, Max opened Zeva's bedroom door to wake her older kids up. The bedroom was empty. In fact, it looked as though no one had slept in the bed for some time and the scent in the room was also faint. That's strange, was the first thought that occurred to her. She didn't think the teenagers were already up and out for work. Firstly, it was too early yet for work and the second reason for her to believe that they were still home was that she could sense them and feel them just like any other alpha female would be able to feel her offspring if her instincts were strong. Max was lucky, her instincts were very strong. Not finding them in Zeva's room left her confused as to why her kids weren't sleeping where they should have been sleeping. Even when they shared the bed, they always slept here. After much persuasion, Alec the asshole had admitted to her that their older kids had been sharing one bed for ages and that he'd known all about it from the start. She had been disappointed to hear this, to realize that her mate placed alpha male loyalty above everything else, even above loyalty to her, his mate. Nevertheless, she'd forgiven Alec for being an ass. Truth be told, she was more envious of her mate than disappointed in him because it was proof that the kids didn't mind their Dad knowing about these important things but didn't want her to find out. It was hurtful to realize this.

Max had been living and working with male transgenics for decades now, yet she still had had no luck about getting Alec or any other male to spill the unwritten rules of the male transgenic species. Nevertheless, over the two decades she'd observed enough to know some of their mannerisms. She knew that the males were fiercely loyal to each other and they kept their word even if it cost them their life. Another thing she knew was that no male shared his own bed with a female unless he was ready to mate her. It seemed it was one of the most important rules of the male transgenics' secret rule book, as far as she had been able to tell listening to females talking about males. Later on in life, she'd had this theory confirmed when Alec had refused to share his own bed with her until they were ready to properly mate. When she'd questioned him about it, he'd skillfully changed the subject which had convinced her that her theory was true.

Since she'd been told about Zeva and Cade sharing a bed, she'd hardly ever woken them up because there had never been a need to. Zeva seemed to always be awake and heading for the bathroom when it was their time to get up. She had a feeling that her daughter was embarrassed and shy about sleeping with Cade like this so openly, therefore she avoided being caught with him. This morning was another case though. Neither kid had been awake so she had felt obliged to wake them but it seemed she was looking in the wrong place.

She shut Zeva's bedroom door behind her and trudged over to Cade's bedroom door. Hesitating only for a brief moment, she opened the door with as little noise as possible. She leaned against the door frame as her eyes fell on her son and adopted daughter. Cade was wrapped around Zeva, like a male would be wrapped around his mate. Subconsciously, Cade moved closer to Zeva and tightened his hold on her. A rare smile broke out on Max's face at the sight. They looked good together. She was happy Cade had fallen in love with the new addition to their family. It meant she didn't have to lose her daughter to another pack so soon after she became hers. Coming out of her reverie, Max straightened up and cleared her throat. 'Cade, Zeva, what the hell is going on here?' She barked out in her best most bitchy tone, nearly laughing out loud at the reaction she got.

As the shrill voice of his mother pierced his ears, Cade woke up from his peaceful slumber. He bolted upright in his bed with Zeva still in his arms which caused the female to punch him in the stomach. She wasn't too happy about their situation, he could tell by how she was tensed up. He huffed out loud as Zeva tried to pull away from him by digging her elbows in his ribs. She could be so damn pissy sometimes. Cade wanted to really scream or lash out. He hadn't imagined to wake up like this in the morning after having such a great night. After much resistance on his behalf, he gave up and let go of Zeva. She quickly scrambled out of his bed and ran over to his Mom. He was amused to see Zeva give his Mom a hug as she exchanged scents with her, despite her apparent embarrassment and shyness. Zeva left the bedroom in such a hurry as though the room was on fire, but not before giving him a cute, shy smile. He couldn't help but grin like a hyena. She made him feel so happy, even when he was mad at her for leaving him alone to deal with their mother. Knowing full well that his Mom was angry with him, he tried to diffuse the tension in the air by giving his Mom a huge smile. But the pissed-off, questioning look his mother was giving him didn't disappear as he had hoped, instead she seemed to get angrier. 'Mom, I...We...' He started to explain what he thought he should be explaining, which was Zeva and his bed-sharing but he was stopped by his mother as she held out a hand in warning.

'Cade, I know you two share your bed. What I wanna know is why you thought to go on a date and lie to me about it?' Max asked, trying her hardest not to convey her hurt in her words. 'And, why does Zeva sleep in your territory?' She added. She could see that her son wasn't comfortable with the questioning. He had always been private and conscious about the important things in his life, almost like her. So, she could understand his unease now.

His Mom was really good in hiding her true feelings but Cade knew that he had hurt her. He'd seen the pain flicker in her eyes before she had schooled her facial expression to appear blank and indifferent. 'Mom, I just... I didn't... I didn't tell anyone because I didn't know if you'll agree to us being alone like that.' He admitted, giving his Mom an apologetic look.

'I hope you didn't do something you shouldn't have.' Max muttered as she turned to leave but before she was out of the room her son launched himself at her, grabbing her by her hand and then moving close to her to nuzzle her neck.

Cade welcomed the comforting scent of his mother as he exchanged scents with her. 'You don't have to worry about Zeva. I love her. I would never hurt her.' He put his arms around his mother's shoulders to give her a tight hug. 'Mom, I know I hurt you. I'm so sorry. I love you.' He quickly kissed her on the cheek, hoping she'd accept his apology.

'I love you too, baby.' Max gave up resisting, returning her son's hug and kiss. 'Get ready.' She smacked him gently. Smiling and shaking her head at his antics, she left for the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Zeva felt so embarrassed. After stopping in her bedroom for a moment to gather her things, she made her way into the empty bathroom feeling somewhat unhappy and nervous. Her Mom had seen her and Cade sleeping together in just their underwear. Last time that had happened, they had had the excuse that her human instincts had awaken and she was out of her white room. They didn't have a good enough explanation this time though. In her remorse, she scrubbed at her body rigorously as if to rid herself from the thoughts that were playing in her mind. What must her Mom think of her now? She knew her Mom was aware of Cade's interest in girls so it must not have surprised her Mom to see Cade in such an intimate position but her Mom probably didn't expect her to sleep with him like this. And, now with hindsight, she should've refused to sleep with Cade in his bed, his territory. The truth was, despite not knowing the rules of males courting females, she had instinctively felt she wasn't supposed to be sleeping in his bed. Her instincts had never failed her in all of her sixteen years alive and she was sure they were right in this instance too. A part of her had wanted to run out of Cade's bedroom as soon as she had realized they had company but a bigger part of her had wanted to feel her Mom's comfort and assurance in spite of her shame. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to leave without exchanging scents with her mother. Nevertheless, she did want to leave home as soon as possible as the idea of having breakfast, with Cade and her Mom watching her, didn't make her feel particularly happy. She wasn't so lucky. Fully ready, she ran through the kitchen and grabbed a slice of bread. 'Morning. I need to go over some work. I'm heading out.' She made to leave.

'Not so fast, Zeva.' Max sat down in her usual place at the dining table. 'We always have breakfast together as a family. You know the rules. Sit down, there's no rush.' She could tell her daughter was trying to avoid her. Zeva was so tense and apologetic. The child looked like all the veins in her body had popped as she was so red in the face. Her face became redder, which had seemed impossible, when Cade came into the area and took the chair beside her.

Taking a seat, Cade leaned forward to grab some waffles from a plate. Immediately, he felt his body become tense. Realizing that it was Zeva who was feeling uneasy, he tried to make her feel better the only way he thought he could. 'Dad, we'll be finished with the inventories this morning. Ryan was saying that we have just the Copper and Zinc levels to check. I was wondering, after we've done this job, what else are you thinking of throwing us into?' He questioned his father, keeping all his focus and attention trained on his parents. He felt Zeva relax. His plan had worked. She wasn't feeling like she was being scrutinized anymore.

Alec was amused to read the young couple's body language. Cade seemed to be asking questions just to divert the attention from Zeva to himself. He didn't look that interested in finding out the actual answer to his query. But, Alec was gonna answer him nonetheless. 'After your morning job, you'll still have one more to check out.'

'What?' Cade asked around his mouthful, wide-eyed. He hadn't expected this.

'You and Ryan need to check out the oil levels. We haven't imported any oil since we first got this place. It's been nearly two decades and anyway, last time the report came back as medium levels of storage and that was about four years ago. So I'll need you to determine if we need to import oil. Biggs or Mole will tell you what to look out for when measuring.' Alec quickly finished his coffee and then stood up. Moving around the table, he kissed all four of his girls and then turned to head out of the penthouse. 'See ya.'

One by one, the rest of the family filed out of their home, plunging the building into solitude and darkness. It was unusually dark for a hot morning. Dark clouds hung in the air, casting gloomy shadows on the beach and buildings. A storm was on its way. This could be felt everywhere and by everyone. As per usual when such a feeling was in the air, the habitants of Deania became restless and uncomfortable. They started to mentally prepare for such an event. Normally when a storm hit their shore, it was brutal. They couldn't afford to take chances. No one had ever lost their life as of yet but there was always a possibility. The thought of a storm was prevalent in the residents' minds as they went about doing their daily jobs, and it remained with them without leaving them. But, life went on. Work could not be stopped because someone was having a bad feeling about things.

Later in the day, Cade and Ryan were on their state-related mission. Namely, to perform the shittiest job, in their opinion, in the nation. There just wasn't anything cool about the job. Cautiously picking their way through the rubbish of the roughest part of Deania, they arrived at the massive building that housed one of the most important items which was imported to their nation. It was the last item to check off in the large inventory that Biggs had handed them but hadn't bothered updating to include this item. Cade had to add the item to the list himself this very morning after the talk with his Dad.

At first, after receiving the list, Cade had thought that they had no chance of ever completing the task and Ryan had agreed. However, when they started getting into doing their work and stopped messing about, they made good time. The boys had, between them, inventoried all 46 of the imported goods in just over four weeks. But it hadn't been easy. That's why they constantly whined about their job to anyone who would listen to their opinion. So, it wasn't a surprise that this particular afternoon, they were feeling a heightened sense of happiness and relief even when everyone else was feeling apparent anxiety about a storm. It was their last outing as inventory-handlers or whatever their job was called. It was the last item to check on the list.

'Fuck. Dude, this place stinks.' Cade made a face, appalled by the smell that hit him as he opened the inner door to the building's entrance. 'What the fuck is this smell?' He looked back at Ryan who was sporting an equally appalling expression on his face.

'I guess it could be the oil. It is the storage building of the liquid gold that no one can do without.' Ryan said, rolling his eyes at the metaphor he'd read somewhere in an article once. 'Haven't you ever been here before?' He asked, not really believing his best friend hadn't bothered to venture into this little-visited and little-habited part of their glorious country. Cade had explored every inch of Deania as far as Ryan knew. He, himself had been along for most of these daring trips.

Cade grinned at his brother's question. 'You know I have. I must've forgotten that I needed to bring a perfumed mask for this part of Deania.' He snorted. 'Actually, I can't believe this is a piece of my mother's paradise.' His cheeky remark earned him a chuckle from his trusted side-kick.

'True.' Ryan grinned.

'Let's just get this over and done with. I'll be happy, man. No more inventories for me I tell ya.' Cade took two steps at a time. He couldn't get there fast enough.

Ryan nodded to himself in agreement with what his brother was saying. 'You know, you think there's gonna be a storm here?'

'Don't know, Dude. Statistically, we are not due to have one any time soon. However, you never know nowadays. The Kiwis had an earthquake a few weeks ago and that was out of the blue. Why, you scared bitch?' Cade smirked, flashing the torch he was holding at Ryan's face.

Ryan shrugged. 'Jerk. It's not me whose scared.' He muttered, defensively.

'It's Sara.' Cade laughed and slapped Ryan's shoulder, endearingly. He figured as much.


	41. Chapter 41

**A/N; thanks to you guys for your love and support, keep reading... and i love you guys who review because i write for you guys as you keep me going... keep sharing the love... not long to go now... stick with it if you wanna know the end...R&R... xxx**

Chapter 41 -

Ryan and Cade burst into the Command building looking for Biggs. Not finding him in his office, they sought Mole who was the next person they were supposed to report to.

Mole was in his office, which was two doors down from Biggs' office, reading some magazine called 'Sci-fi'. The magazine was a present from Dalton, who had been to Sydney a few days ago to get some supplies. The wily X6 had told him that the magazine was very popular and would make good reading, if someone wanted to know what ordinaries imagined science could achieve. At first, Mole had doubted he would read past the first few pages so had dismissed the X6's offering, throwing it on the far pile of junk he had strewn all over his work table. But, then he had gotten some free time during lunch and decided to rifle through the neglected present, to see what kind of monsters were making headlines. And now, though it was well past his lunchtime and his break was supposed to be over ages ago, he still couldn't put the damn thing down without finishing it. It was freaking scary how much he was enjoying reading it.

Hearing the door of his office being banged open, he looked up, ready to chew the person out who had dared to disturb him in his leisure-time. However, his anger was deflated when his irritated gaze fell on two of his favourite young males in his nation. Cade and Ryan weren't his favourite because of whose family, pack they belonged to but rather because he had been there since their birth, helping to protect and raise them. Usually, he wasn't a sentimental man. Other transgenics would go as far as saying, he was pretty indifferent towards everything. But he had cried when the boys had first laid their eyes on his ugly, scaly face and smiled instead of crying of fear. He would never admit all this to anyone but they had melted his unemotional heart. 'Boys, what's up? You look like you've just crawled out of the sewers and had some awful news or something.' He grinned at their identical expressions of disgust at the mention of the sewers. They would be surprised if they ever realized how much time their parents had spent in sewers when they didn't have this nation, he snorted at his own thoughts. Folding the page he had been reading in half, to make it easier to get back to, he shut the magazine. He needed to have a serious chat with Dalton. It was all well in getting him cigars or such as presents but it was downright nasty, cruel and stupid to give him something as addictive as 'Sci-fi'.

Cade sat on the chair opposite Mole and eyed the magazine cover that the older male had been reading. Involuntary, he smirked. So, the lizard-man was interested in the science fiction beliefs of ordinaries after all. Mole had always insisted he didn't give a rat's ass about the opinions of ordinaries. This was a surprise. He wanted to question the trans-human and tease him but that wasn't why he was here. He had other pressing matters, his teasing could wait for later. He wasn't going to forget about it anyway. 'Mole, we have a problem.' He admitted, sighing dejectedly. He sat back in his chair, throwing a quick glance Ryan's way. His brother looked as worried, about their problem, as he himself was feeling. His brother was chewing on his lip and was twiddling with his mobile phone buttons.

Cade's claim and Ryan's discomfort garnered Mole's full attention and if he had had eyebrows then they would have raised, questioningly. He leaned over some papers on his table, to get his 20th cigar for the day, out of his cigar box. Lighting it, he asked, 'What problem?' As the soothing smoke collected inside him, he smiled appreciatively. Damn, he needed to cut down on his cigars or else he was going to run out sooner than usual. But, he'd been so stressed lately, what with the certain likelihood of a world war taking place soon.

Ryan had been quiet till now. He'd been quiet since he found out about their problem. But, he couldn't keep it in any longer. 'The oil levels are so low, you won't believe it. We'll be lucky, if we have enough for one month and now there's more activity around the border so we need more fuel.' He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding after he'd said what he wanted to say. He needed fuel, damnit. Fuck the military or border guys. This was purely selfish. He loved his motors too much to give them up because of insufficient fuel.

'Is this true, Cade? Only a months worth of oil?' Mole spoke around his cigars and let his impatience be known in his gruff tone. The kids better not be exaggerating or they would be on the receiving end of his wrath, because he would now have to go to check the oil store to confirm. And, he didn't like to make pointless tours of facilities.

Cade arched an eyebrow in annoyance. 'Yeah. We both checked and measured it separately to make sure of it. It's about a month's worth with the amount of petrol being used at current rate for military purposes. We need to top it up as soon as possible.' He replied to the adult male. Mole could be an utter asshole sometimes in his inability to trust what anyone told him. He could see the skepticism in the adult's eyes. He didn't appreciate Mole questioning his and Ryan's abilities, didn't like it if anyone did it.

On hearing the news of the oil shortage, initially Mole couldn't help but feel disgruntled. To him, it seemed their race, nation was never gonna catch a break. First the security situation and now this. 'Okay. You boys can go and spend some time in the common room if you want while I discuss with Max and Alec what we need to do. I'll call you when we need you for something.' Intentionally, he neglected to add that he was also going to go to the storage building to measure the oil himself. The younger hot-headed males didn't need to know that piece of information. They'd only get mad. And, he didn't have the patience nor time to deal with any extra pissiness. He already got enough of that from the nation's beloved leaders. As far as Mole was concerned if they didn't need to know then he wasn't going to tell them. He had purely a need-to-know attitude about things. 'I will handle the situation from here on out. ' Receiving a silent nod from Cade and Ryan, he made a show of shuffling some papers on his table so the males would take it as a hint to leave, which they thankfully did.

Grunting, Mole left his office after he was sure the younger males were long gone. Making his way over to the office of the nation's leaders, he grimaced. This was gonna be an interesting talk. He was sure of it. Not waiting for an answer after knocking once, he entered the room with an irritated scowl marring his otherwise blank, scaly face.

Max looked up from her laptop screen and glanced to the door to see who had been rude enough to saunter in her office without waiting for permission. When she saw who it was, she muttered under her breath. 'Well, surprise, surprise...' She wasn't surprised in the least to see Mole chomping on a cigar as he fell back on one of the comfy couches.

Mole had clearly heard Max but dismissed her usual bitchy jibes in favour of getting straight to the point. 'Max, Alec, we have a potential disaster on our hands.' Seeing that this statement had got him the full attention of the two alphas, he continued. 'Cade and Ryan just got back from checking the oil store and they are both saying that it is very low. Now that we have military vehicles eating up fuel, we need a lot of oil.'

Alec's eyes widened subconsciously. The implications of this new problem were huge. His strategic mind registered and processed the conclusions long before he did. 'Mole, how much have we got? When do we run out of it?' He fired the two most important questions at his trusted soldier, holding his breath as he waited for Mole's reply. It felt like his trans-human friend was silent for ages when in reality he had been silent only a few seconds. Alec prompted. 'How many months?'

'They say one month and that's at the rate of what we use at the moment.' Mole said in a serious tone, hoping that the urgency of the matter was evident by his sharp tone, wasn't lost to the leaders. 'I'm going to head down to check myself in a minute. I just thought I'd let you guys know.' He added, to break the silence that had engulfed the room. Max looked like she was in shock and Alec looked apprehensive. Either of the leaders' reactions didn't surprise Mole. He had expected as much.

Alec got out his chair and stood up. After stretching for a good minute, he started pacing the room. 'If the boys said its low then it must be. But, you're right for wanting to check it yourself. I would as well. I'm thinking, since we'll need to top up our oil anyway, we're better off doing it as soon as possible. So, I want you or Biggs to contact the Kuwaiti dealer who supplied us oil the first time around. He was a friendly. Tell him, we need the oil to be delivered within two weeks.'

'Yeah. We need to get oil.' Max finally found her voice.

Mole was glad for the small mercy that, Alec and Max had given him the authority to oversee some aspects of running Deania. If it wasn't for him, their race would have met its end decades ago. He had pretty much saved the nation. He had also saved the nation's incompetent leaders from the perils of having to make some hard decisions. Decisions which had saved their asses countless times. He was sure of all this, all his great achievements. This was the reason why he never complained about doing filthy and easy jobs like checking the oil stores. Yes, the job wasn't pleasant but he knew he was the only one he could trust to do the job right.

Within minutes of entering the derelict storage building, he had accomplished the task of checking the oil levels and realised that the young males of the alpha family had been right in their measurements and predictions. Growling at the oil container in anger for his wasted trip, he packed his measuring instruments and made his way back to the Command building. It was time he talked to Biggs about this.

Over the next two days, Mole and Biggs both spoke to the Kuwaiti dealer's son to try to negotiate a price and date of delivery. The Kuwaiti dealer they had dealt with many years ago, was now dead. His sons had taken over the family business. Although the man's sons were sympathetic to the transgenics, they weren't as friendly as their father. The man, who had taken risks to deliver the oil to Deania the first time around. The news of his death had saddened all the adults. They had lost a true friend.

Currently, Biggs and Mole were heading towards Alec and Max's office. They needed to tell them of the deal they had struck with the oil dealers. Once outside the office, they momentarily hesitated and exchanged a quick look before they knocked on the door. Entering the room when Max said that the door was open, they immediately moved over to their favourite seats in the room. Mole had planted himself on the comfy couch on Alec's side of the room and Biggs sat down in a chair opposite the leaders.

Alec was serious and worried. This situation was so important to resolve. He hadn't been able to sleep for the past couple of nights thinking about the consequences of not having the rare commodity which was the only thing the transgenics couldn't make themselves. 'So, what did the dealer, is it Amin, say? You got a deal?' He asked impatiently. He could feel Max fidget beside him. He knew what she was feeling because he was feeling the same thing. The feeling was one of trepidation and expectation. Getting a silent nod from Biggs as affirmation, he exhaled dramatically. Something was going their way, at last.

'Princess, we got a deal but it is not what we wanted.' Mole hated to rain on other peoples' parade but he couldn't help it. Someone had to be the bearer of news, good or bad. Immediately he felt guilty when he saw Alec's expression become dark.

'What do you mean?' Alec controlled his tone of voice. He didn't want his anger or annoyance to bleed through. That's why he pretended to ignore the nickname Mole used for him, not wanting to pick a fight at such an inappropriate time. The animal inside him was already threatening to make itself known. He knew he had to resist because he didn't want his judgement and decisions to be clouded by his heavy load of testosterone.

'Amin said that he'll sell us as much oil we need, at the lowest price possible. But, he and his men can't deliver the oil. There's unrest in the Middle East at the moment and then there's the fear of Somali pirates attacking the ship. If we wanna buy oil from Amin, we'll have to pick it up and bring it here ourselves.' Biggs explained, chewing on his lip in agitation. He knew that Alec wasn't going to like this deal at all. Judging by the look of pure unease adorning his brother's face at the news, he wasn't wrong. He could clearly see how much Alec disliked the deal.

'So, we'll have to send our own boys to get it.' Alec nodded his understanding of the situation. Damn, this was gonna be a problem. 'Who're we sending? You guys have anyone in mind?' He sent a sideways glance Max's way. She'd been awfully quiet since Biggs and Mole had started talking. Realizing that she was only silent because she was in some kind of shock-induced trance, Alec reached towards her and shook her lightly. 'Maxie, hey baby, say something.' At his touch, she looked his way and blinked a few times before giving him a sad, defeated look.

'Alec...' Max managed to choke out before she felt herself on the verge of tears and her throat constricting. Why was everything bad happening to them lately? She tried to compose herself. She knew that her mate, Alec could feel her turmoil so she sought his touch, his comfort by leaving her seat to sit in his lap.

All the three males present in the room were aware of how rare such an occasion, such an act of need from their kick-ass leader was therefore didn't make a big deal about it, pretending that they weren't witness to it.

Mole cleared his throat and puffed out the smoke of his cigar. 'Most males are handling the border security and such so I was thinking, we don't really have many males who can go to collect the oil cargo on the ship.'

'Mole's right. Another thing we need to consider is, what are we going to do about transportation of the cargo once our males have received the consignment. We don't have a ship.' Biggs pointed out, matter-of-factly.

Alec nodded, thoughtfully. 'We can buy a ship. Money isn't the issue here, guys.' He nuzzled Max's neck to calm himself with the sweet scent of his mate. Breathing in heavily, he pulled back from her and trained his solemn gaze on the males in the room in turn. 'I think, we all know we have no choice but to send the alpha males who are not on security detail. X5 series would be our best option, if not them then we need to send X6s. They'll blend in easily as tourists.' He felt Max stiffen in his arms. Stroking her back gently in a soothing way, he kissed her on the head. He knew this was hard on her. The military aspect of running a nation had always upset her because of it reminded her of Manticore. It reminded him of the place he'd called home for such a long time too but he had moved on from it all, burying the memory of the place and replacing it with memories he cherished of his family and his brothers. 'Biggs, gather a group of X5s and X6s. Tell them that they are to report to you in conference room at 11.00 a.m, tomorrow. Make sure that the boys don't have any other important job in Command. We don't want to send anyone we can't do without for a while.'

Mole nodded, pensively. 'So, I'm wondering, are we talking about the boys we sent to pick the survivors. I mean, what I am trying to say is, do we take the strongest alphas outta school for this mission?'

Max was furiously. Suddenly, she sat up in Alec's lap. 'No.' She hissed. She said it in such a way, with a challenge in her icy glare that she knew no one in the world would argue with her unless they had a death wish. The males in the room clearly didn't, as they backed down by bowing their head in clear indication that her wish was their command.

'We are just going to have to use the guys who already work here. They made the choice to work at Command so it is part of their job to listen to us and go on missions when needed.' Alec shrugged. A thought occurred to him but he didn't voice it because of the female in his arms. He knew she would fly off the handle if he said anything. Looking at Biggs and Mole, he realised that they had come to same conclusion as he had.

Biggs leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. 'Right. Who's gonna head the mission? The younger boys will need an experienced CO.' He had seen the look that had passed Alec's face and he knew that the clever alpha male had become aware of the fact that they were going to have to send their kids out for the mission.

Before Alec could answer or present possible candidates, Mole spoke up. 'Dalton will need to head the mission.' He got up and left the room, killing the argument prematurely. The way he left the room, he had sent a clear message to the others that he was headed to talk to Dalton about the mission. They couldn't do anything about it anymore. Dalton never said no to anything. The kid was hardly going to start refusing now.

'Have you heard, some males are going on a mission to collect a consignment from a Kuwaiti dealer. Cade and Ryan are going too.' Sara bit down on her lip to keep from letting her real thoughts on the subject come out of her mouth. She felt hurt and angry that Ryan hadn't thought of their baby, thought of her when he had signed up for the dangerous mission.

Zeva spluttered and coughed on her drink, tears coursing down her face. 'What?'

Sara hesitated for just a brief moment before she decided to tell her best friend everything she'd heard about the mission from Dix talking to Mole and Dalton in the adjoining computer storage room in the morning. When she was finished, she noticed that the older female was fuming in anger. The strong alpha female got up out of her chair and marched towards the exit, a scowl on her otherwise beautiful face. 'Zeva, where are you going?' Sara jumped up to follow her friend.

'I'm going with them. They can't just go on missions without females. We have the same rights. We are as good as they are in every situation.' Zeva said, passionately. Like fuck, she was gonna let the love of her life, her future mate put himself in danger without her being there to watch his back. Fear of losing him was the real reason for her anger. She wasn't gonna tell anyone that though. 'Sara, go back to your room. You need to chill, okay. Don't worry. I've got this covered.' She abruptly stopped and pulled her younger friend in an embrace, hoping she'd listen to her. Seeing Sara nod resignedly, she smiled at her. 'That's my girl.' Not waiting for a response, she left for the mission brief that was currently underway in the conference room, according to Sara.

Zeva barged into the conference room to find all ten high ranking military officials as well as twelve strong male alphas present in the room, who were all sat around the table. It was intimidating to say the least but she was happy that she wasn't the only female in the huge room. That would have been worse for her in terms of feeling comfortable and confident. She quickly made her way over to her parents at the head of the table. After exchanging scents with them, she stood beside them, facing them.

'Zeva, what are you...' She cut her Dad's question mid-sentence by holding her hand up.

'I just found out about this mission you're organising. I want in on it. I'm going too. I think I have valuable skills that the guys will need.' Zeva tried to sound calm, the exact opposite of what she was feeling. Her delicate nerves were not making her feel so good.

Cade stood up. 'What skills?' He challenged, eyes flashing daggers at her. Did she not get it, it was a dangerous mission. He'd never forgive himself if something happened to her and he could've prevented it. She'd go over his dead body. He wasn't gonna let her go.

Zeva knitted her eyebrows together and huffed out in a sulky way. 'I am great with ships, any vessel. I practically lived in boats and ships my entire life. I know how the sailors act like and everything about the sea.' She reasoned, feeling self-satisfied because surely these skills were going to earn her brownie points with the males. They would instantly realise that they could never succeed braving the ocean, without her. What she wasn't aware of was that there was one male who was never going to agree. No matter how great her skills were.

Cade laughed out, unbelievingly. 'We are going on a mission. We aren't going on a cruise. You're not going and that's that.'

'But, why?' Zeva whined. 'Mommy, please. We need some females to go too. Even if no other female wants to go I still wanna go.' She gave her Mom a pleading look. She nearly let her pout slip when she saw her mother melt before her eyes.

'Fine. You can work with the team but we are not sure what job yet, okay?' Max surrendered, breathing deeply. She wasn't gonna let her daughter go with the boys but she could let her work with comms.

Cade felt himself turn red in anger. What the hell was his Mom thinking? Seriously? 'Mom, no. Zeva will not be a part of this team. Dalton is our CO so he gets to choose. You better say no Dalton.' He glared at his older friend. It seemed Dalton wasn't bothered either way so he just shrugged. Damn. Cade looked at his Dad for support. His father's response was the same as Dalton's.

Zeva was furious. All she could see was red and all she could feel was the blood pumping through her veins in speed. Who the hell gave him the right to stop her? 'Cade, you can't stop me. You have no right.' She huffed out. She was about to tell him where he could shove all his past apologies, however she didn't get the chance. In a mere second or two, Cade had managed to close the distance between them.

'Like fuck I don't have a right.' Cade growled, before pulling a wide-eyed Zeva against himself and kissing her with passionate force and obvious claim.


	42. Chapter 42

**A/N; thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter... I have noticed that as time passes this story seems to be getting lesser reviews and hits... I really hope you guys can stick with this for a little longer and pls keep telling me what you think... only a couple more chapters to go seriously, it'll be the end before you know it... you know it that i have been suffering from writer's block so have found it hard to write...but i still do it for you guys so the least you can do is review *pouts* xxx**

Chapter 42 -

Coming out of her dazed state, Zeva opened her eyes which she hadn't realised she had shut when Cade began his assault on her lips. Pushing Cade away from herself in embarrassment and wiping at her lips with the sleeve of her tight grey top, she glared at the cocky male who was smirking in a most satisfied manner. 'What the hell was that for?' She barked at him. She felt like punching him to wipe the grin from his face but she didn't want to attract more attention. Everyone's eyes were already glued to them. She was never gonna forgive him for this.

Cade couldn't help but feel happy and satisfied. Zeva's reaction was so cute and so predictable. He knew she'd go mad if he pulled a stunt like that but it was the only way to shut her up. 'Zeva, you're not going.' He said, seriously. He wanted her to know that he wasn't gonna take her refusal to agree to his request as an answer.

Zeva huffed out in anger. It was so unfair of him. Why was he doing this to her? 'I hate you.' She muttered, feeling miserable. After giving Cade a pained look, she cast an eye on the other transgenics in the room and found them all smiling or laughing. Unable to withstand this humiliation, she stormed out of the conference room without a backward glance. But, before she was out of the hearing range of the room, she heard Cade's 'I'm sorry.' said in a small voice. Hearing the emotion in his voice, something broke in her. She couldn't stay angry at him any longer. Instead, tears started to flow freely from her eyes as she was overwhelmed with the fear that she felt of losing someone she loved all over again. It couldn't happen. She couldn't let it happen. She wouldn't be able to survive this time around.

Max couldn't seem to concentrate on the mission briefing that was taking place. She had been worried since she had realised Cade and Ryan were going to be going on the mission. However, now she was feeling uneasy and hurt as well. These feelings were more because of her daughter than her boys. She understood what Zeva was going through. It was the same feelings she would feel if Alec mentioned going off alone somewhere dangerous without her. She wouldn't allow her mate to go alone and she was aware she wasn't alone. All transgenic females felt panic when their males were about to leave them to go somewhere. And, it wasn't only mates but family females as well. She wasn't looking forward to seeing the reaction of Mila and Lima. They were going to feel sad and afraid until Cade came back. She sighed at her thoughts as they ran through her head. Exchanging a long glance with Cece, she recognised that her friend was thinking along the same lines. Suddenly, she felt worse for Cece. The badass female had a pregnant female to comfort too.

As the meeting came to an end, the twelve boys were told to leave the Command centre and go to rest as they had to prepare for what they had been told about in the briefing. The mission was to start early next morning. The males who already had mates were told to find their mates and spend the time with them and the males who didn't have such responsibilities were simply told to stay home until the time of their mission. Ryan and Cade started walking towards the main hall of the Command building.

'Dude, I'll see you in the morning. I've gotta go and find Zeva. Knowing her, she might be making someone's life a living hell since she's mad at me.' Cade slapped his brother on his back, affectionately.

Ryan nodded. 'Well, I'm heading home. Might catch some shut-eye.' He shrugged, scratching the back of his head. He started walking backwards towards the exit.

Cade shook his head in disagreement. 'Wait.'

'What?' Ryan asked, annoyed.

'Dude, I think you should go and get Sara before heading home. Spend some time with her, you bitch.' Cade argued, knowing full well that this is exactly what his best friend really wanted to do but didn't have the guts to say so.

'Shut up jerk.' Ryan felt mortified. He didn't say he wanted to spend his free time with Sara, did he? Then why was everyone just assuming things? 'I don't want to be spending my free time with the she-devil.' he huffed out, petulantly.

This was unbelievable. 'At least quit pretending today.' Cade levelled a serious and intense gaze on Ryan.

Looking down at his shoes and chewing his bottom lip, Ryan shrugged his shoulders. After a few minutes silence from his brother, he realized that his bro was waiting for his response. He was about to further deny Cade's request and claim but he decided against it when he saw his best friend's glare which was trained on him. 'Fine. I'm only getting her cause you wouldn't leave me otherwise.'

Cade smiled. 'Yeah. Whatever makes you feel better, bitch.' He smacked his brother on his back and then departed to go to find his own she-devil.

'Jerk.' Ryan retorted, shouting at Cade's back. He could practically imagine Cade's eye-roll at his remark.

Ryan made his way to the computer rooms, feeling nervous and flustered. He was dreading telling Sara that he would be going on a potentially dangerous mission. She would probably think that the thought of her and their child hadn't crossed his mind when he had signed up to go. The truth was he had thought about it but in the end, he couldn't let Cade go alone. He had always watched his brother's back since Cade was born, he couldn't possibly let him down now when it was important. Outside her computer room, he stopped and let out a long breath to calm himself. When he was sure of his composure, he entered the room to find Sara engrossed in her work. She didn't seem to notice his presence so he remained standing in the entrance watching her. After a while, he gave himself away when he chuckled at her swearing blue murder at her computer screen. He really hadn't expected something like that of her.

Sara nearly fell off her chair when she realized she wasn't alone in the room. Barely managing to stay in her chair, she quickly pressed the 'escape' button on her keyboard to make sure Ryan didn't see what she was working on. Zeva would lose all her trust in her if someone found out about the work she was doing. She couldn't allow that to happen. 'You scared me.' She admitted as she quickly tried to clear away her notes from her table and stuff them in her desk-drawer to lock away.

Ryan leaned his bottom against her table as he faced her, their legs touching. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.' He shrugged, feeling stupid under her watchful gaze. 'Pack up. I'm here to get you.'

'Why?' Sara had a feeling what the reason for the male alpha showing up was but she decided to play dumb. 'I have a lot of work here.' She added at his lack of response.

Ryan felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. Why did he have to do this? 'Sara, I will be leaving for a mission early tomorrow morning with some other males. We're going away for quite a while, possibly a week or so. So...erm...Alec told all the males to go home and rest up or spend the day with their families or whoever. Dad told me to get you before I left.' He lied about who had told him to get her because he knew she would listen to him if he used his dad's name rather than Cade's. And, it sounded better to place the blame on an adult as she would assume it was his idea if she knew Cade said anything. To his weird logic, this made sense.

Sara thought about the many things Zeva had told her over the weeks that she'd hung out with her. One of which was that it was better to make the males spell everything out by playing dumb as this technique was effective. 'Yes, that is all well but why do I need to go with you? You can go and rest without me being there. Anyway, you normally whine about me not letting you sleep with my restlessness. It's better if you spend your free time with someone you like, your family.' After saying all this, she mentally kicked herself. She really couldn't believe she had the cheek. Zeva was okay to say these things, the older female was strong but she sure as hell wasn't.

Ryan's eyes widened, horrified. What was he supposed to say to that? Damn, she was getting good at handling him. Remembering his son, he smiled. 'I want to spend my free time with my son.' He pointedly trained his intense eyes on her little bump. To his satisfaction, she started to blush. 'Shall we go then?' She nodded and started to save her work and pack away her things.

Cade had spent over an hour looking for Zeva but hadn't been able to find her. Feeling frustrated and guilty, he went home. He knew she would stay mad at him for ages after kissing her so openly in front of everyone. Still, he had thought she would at least give him a chance to explain himself. Sighing, he opened the penthouse door to the welcome smell of something being baked. Taking his jacket off as he went and throwing it on the back of a couch, he went in the empty kitchen area and opened the oven.

'Wash your hands first.' Zeva trudged over to stand beside the oven, resting her hands on her hips and giving him a deadly glare for good measure.

He obliged to her request and then moved to exchange scents with her. Nuzzling her neck, he gave her a quick kiss on her neck before she could stop him and moved out of her hitting-zone. 'What are you baking?' He questioned, curiously.

'Apple pie.' She replied, nonchalantly.

He felt the sudden insane urge to tell her how much he loved her. She was surely baking the pie for him. It was his favourite, after all. 'Thanks, angel.'

'Don't piss me off. I'm already mad at you.' Was her angry response to his gratitude.

He wasn't surprised. Her hostility was expected. 'I know you're mad at me.' Throwing caution out of the window, he pulled her in his arms. She struggled, huffing and puffing. But, he didn't let go. Not even when she threatened to kill him. As far as he was concerned, it wasn't anything new. When she gave up and stopped struggling, he placed a featherlight kiss on her head. 'I'm sorry, angel. I just couldn't let you go.'

'But, why?' She exhaled sharply, meeting his green eyes with tears glistening in her oceanic blue eyes.

Silence befell Cade for a few minutes as he saw the raw emotions that played on her beautiful face. 'I can't lose you. If something happened to you on my watch, I'd die.' Her hand covered his mouth and she shook her head. He kissed her palm that was resting on his lips.

The next moment, they jumped apart when an alarm sounded.

Zeva quickly opened the oven door. 'I think it's done. You want some now or do you want to wait for after dinner then we can all have it together?' She asked, flushed in the face.

'We'll wait for the others.' Cade grinned his best grin at her and winked, feeling naughty. 'Since we're alone for a while, we should go and spend some time in bed.' This earned him a punch in his chest and some colourful language coming from his favourite mouth in the world.

Until the rest of their pack came home, Cade and Zeva spent their time watching a romantic movie together and playing some video games which Zeva was rubbish at. Despite not being overly comfortable in their displays of affection towards each other, they sat in each others' arms on the floor of the living area with Zeva sat between Cade's parted legs. This arrangement had been heaven and hell for Cade because he had his love, his future mate between his legs but he couldn't do anything. The closest to anything of the sexual nature they did was, kiss and touch. It was a different case with their closest friends.

On the other side of the beach, Ryan was hoping to make full use of the time he had with Sara. That's why he told her that he wanted to spend his time in his bedroom. He didn't tell her of his true intentions, instead he used the excuse that it wouldn't make a difference because nobody was home anyway. Having sex with her had always been pretty easy once he got things underway as she seemed to always be horny for him. That hadn't meant that they did it regularly. In fact, they had only done the deed a few times despite living in such close proximity. And, those times hadn't really worked out for him because he'd always screwed up by saying bad stuff to her afterwards. Today, he was determined to do it differently, to make amends.

He felt nervous though. His nerves were making themselves known because he really didn't know how to start things with her. She was different from other girls. Other girls who had just been a meaningless fuck, he reminded himself. The best course of action with her had always been to leave things to take their own natural course. That took time. Time was something he didn't have. He lay down on his bed and turned on his side so he could watch her. She was clearing up his room. After she was done with the clearing, she grabbed a book and sat awkwardly on the side of the bed. 'Sara, put your book away and lay down beside me.' He mumbled in a soft voice. She appeared shocked at his request. Damn it, did he over do it?

Lying down beside Ryan, Sara turned her head towards him and met his gaze head-on. 'Ryan...' She started in a whisper but was silenced when his lips came crashing down on hers.

The couple spent the next few hours in bed, making love and comforting each other as their time apart was going to be physically and emotionally hard on them.

Early next morning, most of the inhabitants of Deania made their way next to the Command building to bid their farewell and wish good luck to the eight transgenic males, who were about to risk their own lives to bring oil to their nation before it ran out.

A solemn and somber mood hung in the air as the males said their goodbyes to their packs and families before they left for the mission. No one was more sad to see them go than the nation's leader.

Max took a deep breath and blinked her tears back as she saw the males pile into the black SUV. She was glad that Alec had drawn up the mission plan himself. She knew that he had run it through his military specialists as well. The feedback she got from the other military strategists made it a little easier on her to give the final go-ahead. Personally, she had been impressed with the plan too. It was a simple plan per se. The eight transgenic males, all X5s and X6s would be driven to Sydney International Airport. They would board a plane and fly to Dubai as tourists. Once in Dubai, they would buy a big ship and go to Kuwait by sea. They would receive the oil cargo and guns and ammunition from their dealer and leave immediately for Deania's own harbour. It sounded like a safe and straight-forward plan but Alec had told her that in truth, the mission was dangerous. This confession of his had not gone down well with her. Not when her son and her family members were going to be going, were going to be at risk. But, she trusted Alec, knew that he would never place anyone in danger.

With a heavy heart, she watched the back of the vehicle in which Alec and Biggs were taking the boys in and mentally questioned herself whether she had made the right call. Nothing could be done now. She had to live with her decision, whatever it had been. Looking around at the other people, she tiredly sighed. The communications team was still talking amongst each other so she decided to focus her anger on them. 'Tile, tell your communications team to start monitoring the mission status or do I have to always spell everything out here?' She scowled at the huddled group as she left to go home with her little twin daughters in tow.

It was still too early in the morning to go to school or Command. Seeing the leader leaving, the other transgenics started to head back to their homes too.

Alec had decided to let Biggs drive the SUV because he felt he needed to talk to the males about certain things. His last-minute instructions weren't something he'd just thought of but something he'd planned to say to them. He hadn't wanted to say it in front of Max because of the implications of his pointers. He knew she would freak out if she heard him so he had left it till now. He told the males to make sure that they didn't leave any trace of themselves anywhere and operated undetected until they were aboard their shipping vessel. He didn't want or need any other nation to start another fight with them. And, he gave the boys a fortnight to complete the mission and arrive back on home soil. A failure to meet the deadline would not be acceptable.

After giving them this private part of the brief and handing them over to their mission commanding officer Dalton, he fell silent until the airport came in view. 'So, boys, we're here. We'll not come in with you because some officials might recognise us. You're on your own now. Remember to always keep your comms channels open so comms team can monitor your progress. And, report every few hours so we know what's happening. Watch each other's back and go with your instincts when you need to.' He said as he got out of the SUV to see them off. Biggs came to stand beside him and put a hand on his shoulder in comfort. This was hard on both of them, watching Dalton, Cade and Ryan go when they couldn't go with them.

Zeva had spent the best part of the night before crying because of Cade leaving. However, now she was done mourning. She had only one thing on her mind. She walked briskly to Sara's computer room to find the female tapping away on her keyboard. 'I thought I'd find you here.'

The hallways and rooms at Command were mainly empty. The few people who were in the building were the comms team working on the Kuwaiti mission, Mole, Dix and a handful of transgenics who managed the border security of the nation.

Sara looked up at Zeva and smiled shyly before going back to her work. 'I'm nearly in. Just need to break a couple of firewalls and then I'll be in WMF. I've already compiled a folder with all the information from all the other sources that you wanted. I'll have the evidence folder ready in a couple of days. Do you want me to write a detailed report to go with it?'

Zeva shook her head. 'No. I just need the evidence. I can't wait till I can show Mom and Dad the proof of my calculations.' She let out excitedly. Coming near Sara and sitting near her, she concentrated her deep, blue eyes on the younger female. On the face of it, her friend seemed to be fine but Zeva knew that Sara was feeling scared and sad. She knew this because she felt the same way. 'I came here to tell you that I am going to be hanging out with the comms team until the mission's over. You don't mind, do you?' When Sara shook her head to show that she didn't mind, Zeva added. 'I'll feel better if I know what is happening with the boys anyways. And, you don't work too hard. I don't want Ryan to shout at me when he gets back.'

'Zeva, will they be okay?' Sara asked in a small voice, tears glistening in her eyes and her hands resting protectively on her stomach.

Sara's question brought tears to her own eyes but she blinked them back. She needed to be strong, needed to think positive. 'Sure they'll be fine. If all else fails, Cade and Ryan will probably flirt their way through the countries.' She chuckled in pretense, trying to reassure her scared pregnant friend. 'I'll keep you updated and if you need me for anything you know where I'll be, okay?' Without waiting for a response, she hastily retreated from the room with only one destination in her mind.

Outside the comms room that had been designated to the Kuwaiti mission, she breathed in and out a few times to calm and compose herself before marching into the room. Immediately, she felt overwhelmed by the strong smell of testosterone as the room only had males in it, four in all. They were all strange males but she wasn't going to let that fact intimidate her. After all, she was an alpha female of the Alpha pack. 'Hey, guys I will be working here from now on.' They all looked at her with incredulous expressions marring their faces.

Tile seemed amused by her statement. 'Did Max or Alec say you could?'

'It's my decision.' Zeva glared at all the males of the comms team in turn. She silently challenged them to disagree with her and was glad when they didn't seem to care.

'Fine. But, do your own work. Your not needed on the team. I don't mind if you work here and it seems my boys don't mind either.' Tile shrugged. He thought it best not to start an argument with the female. If she wanted to stick around, he really didn't care as long as she didn't get in the way. He didn't like her attitude though. She seemed to be a spoilt brat, thinking she could get away with anything because of whose pack she belonged to. Those type of people always rubbed him the wrong way. He just hoped she didn't piss him off, already he had a lot of pressure on him. Giving her an angry look, he dismissed her as she claimed a computer in the right-hand corner of the room. What he didn't know yet was that by the end of the mission, he would have another opinion of her altogether.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43 -

'I hate to say it but I told you so.' Zeva smirked at her parents. She was sitting in her parents office, waiting for their reactions to the evidence folder Sara had compiled for her. Her friend had done a great job. She was so proud of her. She had known Sara would get enough material to prove her point to her parents and she had. Zeva had been sure her friend wouldn't let her down. However, she hadn't expected her to exceed her expectations by getting into one of the world's most guarded databases and retrieving all the closely-guarded numbers held there in the virtual vault of the UN. Not being able to perform a simple hack herself, she could only imagine the level of skill required for such a complicated hack. Giving her parents an intense look, she cleared her throat obviously. Weren't they going to say anything?

Alec exchanged a look with Max. He knew his mate must be feeling angry and guilty because he was also feeling these emotions coursing through his entire being. He was angry at himself for doubting his daughter and not listening to her, doubting her enough to make her want to find proof to support her claim. He also felt guilty because he realised that if he had listened to her in the first place then his family members wouldn't have been placed in a dangerous situation as he would've had more soldiers at his disposal to send on the Kuwaiti mission.

Max couldn't believe it. She had gone against what her instinct had been telling her from the beginning and now her gut-feeling had been proven right. A part of her wanted to pretend that she hadn't seen the evidence because that would mean she wouldn't have to contend with her guilt. But she knew she couldn't pretend what was not true. She had made a big mistake and she had to live with it. It was her fault. She had never really been much of a believer in instincts. Because of this, now her family members were in a foreign land with no back-up. She clenched her fists and took sharp breath. Yes, she had made a mistake but falling apart would be a worse mistake. She had to keep it together for her family if not for any other reason.

Zeva wasn't really heartless or anything. She saw the pained glances, the guilty looks, the nervous fidgeting of her parents. She understood it all. She just wasn't going to let this get in the way of her doing her job properly. Nevertheless, before a Forex trader she was a daughter. So, knowing that her parents were probably having a mental battle with themselves, she softened her eyes and smiled sadly at them. 'It's okay. At least now we know what to prepare for. We don't need to worry anymore.' She wasn't exactly happy that her predictions were accurate. Not when it meant that her parent's lack of faith in her was the reason why her love, Cade, was on a dangerous mission. The only good thing about the information was that she was able to prove to her parents that she was right all along and this boosted her ego and her credibility.

She left her parent's office as they seemed to be incapable of saying anything right now. Walking towards the comms room, she bumped into a X7. 'Hey, watch where you're going.' She was about to chew the kid out when he gave her a teary-eyed look and quickly handed a package over to her. Giving him a confused look, she glanced at the package. It was from Neo's place. Before she could ask the kid about it, he pointed to the package which was now in her hand.

'For Tile.' The kid mumbled and then ran off in the opposite direction.

Feeling weirded out by the the whole interaction with the timid kid, she carried the medium-sized pack to the comms room. It was day three of the Kuwaiti mission and the alpha males were still in dubai. They couldn't leave dubai until they could get hold of a decent cargo vessel. According to Dalton, the males would be leaving dubai within the next two days, right on schedule. She was glad that the mission was going smoothly. The males had encountered no problems so far. Well that had been the case six hours ago when Dalton had reported mission status in the morning. She didn't know about any latest updates regarding mission status as she had been away from the comms room since morning.

She walked in the room with her head held high as usual, trying her best to calm her animal side. Tile and his males didn't respect her and thought of her as a nuisance. They had made this fact pretty clear to her on the very first day. Although this was the case, she still wanted their respect and their recognition for some unknown reason. 'Here.' She threw the package at Tile, who caught it easily.

A moment later, a box was pulled out of the pack. Apparently, the males had ordered donuts for themselves. Peering in the box, she realised they hadn't bothered about her. Sighing with the air of resignation, she sat in her chair in the corner of the room. Swinging the chair around, she quickly dilated her pupils and focused her eyes on the various information screens in the room before turning her attention to the four comms members' computer screens. Rather than asking the team for news, she had picked up the habit of informing herself this way every time she came in the room. This way of keeping up-to-date was the most effective as she didn't have to beg anyone for information like this.

She went back to her own work when she was sure everything was the same as she left it. Getting into her trading platforms, she made herself comfortable and started her mental calculations instantly. Normally, her concentration was absolute in her work when she was working. But since she had started working in the comms room three days ago, she couldn't seem to give her un-divided attention to her work. Her animal side was almost restless all the time, always listening in to catch the voice of her chosen mate or a family, pack member. Therefore, it wasn't surprising that her senses became alert and she felt that something was wrong even before Stiz, a male handling visual contact with the Kuwaiti unit, cursed under his breath and then began tapping away at his keyboard at a furious speed, a frown marring his usually blank face.

'Tile, we have a problem. I can't get visual. Their trackers are offline.' The red-haired media expert spun on his chair to face his senior.

'What do you mean, you idiot? Can't get visual. They might be in a certain type of area where signals are low or something. You know those cameras and trackers they have are all the latest. The equipments new. So, don't stress me over nothing. Just wait a sec. The link will establish itself.' Tile huffed out, going back to his pile of paperwork which he never seemed to be rid of.

Stiz muttered something inaudible and then resumed his manipulation of his equipment in hopes of establishing a link with the team. Many minutes passed as he tapped away on his keyboard but he couldn't get back the visual or any sign of movement. 'Tile, I still can't pick them up on this piece of shit.'

The CO of comms grunted in a long-suffering manner. Picking up his head-set, he walked over to the red-headed transgenic's screen. He was supposed to communicate with the Kuwaiti unit on predetermined times or in the case of change in plans. Otherwise, they were told to maintain radio silence at all times for the units own safety. He could stick to the rules or make his own decision. Of course, he chose the latter course of action. 'Dalton, this is Tile. Do you hear me?' He barked out in the mouth-piece, eyeing the computer for any signs of life.

'Ye...he..you...is...ight...' came the distorted reply after a few long minutes.

'I don't understand what you're saying. We can't hear you properly here. And, we've lost all visual.' Tile looked over at the screen to make sure it was still true. The screen was static as expected. 'What's wrong with your signal. The trackers are showing you with no movement and they appear to be offline. So what's up?' He asked, frustrated. If someone ever asked him, he'd swear by his favourite donut flavour that heading a communications team was the hardest job in the world. So much stress. Waiting for Dalton's reply, he grabbed his coffee and took a sip of the black liquid.

'Wait.' Dalton requested over static noise. And, that's what the four males and one female in the comms room did, with bated breath. After what seemed like hours but in reality were a few minutes, the comms room phone rang and Dalton's voice sounded in the loud-speaker in the room as Tile had had the phone set up so that his entire team could hear conversation. He wasn't really a fan of repeating things. 'I'll be quick so no one else can trace this or listen in to this. The security officials are sniffing around. Due to the un-rest in middle-east, we've been told we'll have to get rid of our devices or else end up in jail. We really have to act like we're tourists, otherwise we'll be found out. We can't maintain any contact using our own devices. You'll just have to find some way to contact us or we'll just have to call you whenever we can. Do you understand, Tile?'

Tile sighed and fisted his hands. 'Yes Sir. We will try to find another way. Please, keep reporting on an hourly basis if you can.'

'Yeah, we'll try. We must end this call now.' Dalton said, hurriedly.

After Dalton severed the link, the communication room descended into chaos. All the team members started to talk over each other and started to panic. Tile gulped in air and decided to ring the nation's leaders. 'Ale, put me through to Alec, will you?' He wasn't given a chance to hear the response of Alec and Max's assistant as the nation's leaders' child, Zeva, pulled the phone out of his hand and shook her head in a stubborn manner.

Placing the phone down, Zeva let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. 'Tile, I think you shouldn't tell Daddy about this. We'll find a solution to this problem. You don't need to make him worry.' She reasoned. She tried her hardest to not let her fear show as she said this, knowing he would take it the wrong way. He didn't let her down. His reaction was exactly as she predicted. He glared at her disbelievingly and gritted his teeth menacingly. It reminded her that she was challenging the authority of a strong alpha male who could easily harm her. Subconsciously, she took a few steps back from his presence.

'Are you seriously gonna tell me what to do? I don't remember asking for your opinion.' Tile felt mad at Zeva for thinking she could give him advice. Who did she think she was anyway. Belonging to the Alpha pack didn't give her the right to question his ability at decision-making. 'You have no experience of such matters, kid. When adults are planning or discussing something, good kids don't butt in.' He dismissed her with an angry bark.

'Please, Tile. I think I can come up with a solution. Just let me try.' She said as she went over to her computer screen and logged it off. Without meeting the transgenic CO's eyes which her instincts told her were trained on her, she looked over at Stiz and approached him with caution though every instinct in her was telling her not to. 'Stiz, I've seen a documentary which was showing that every major capital city in the world has a network of cameras all over their city, at every corner and all those cameras are controlled from one main control room in the city. So, if we go with this assumption then dubai will have such a room as well. Can't you tap into their visual feeds?' She saw the red-head's expression change and felt uncertainty creep into her. She was about to apologise to him for suggesting anything when he gave her a honest smile for the first time since she'd met him.

'Why didn't I think of this. Zeva, you're a genius. Thanks. You saved me.' Stiz could hardly contain his happiness.

Tile just grunted as Stiz started telling the other two transgenic males what to do to get into the dubai city camera network portal. As all males in the room found something to do, Zeva looked around dumbly before deciding to get away from the sudden stench in the room which was due to the rise of testosterone levels and adrenaline in the males.

Zeva headed straight to Sara's computer room. She needed to talk to her friend, get her opinion. Sara was so intelligent. The younger female would surely know how to handle this situation, maybe break into the dubai camera network for themselves. Truth was, she had more than one reason to want to see her friend. She didn't only need her for her brains but also for her support. She needed her friend's reassuring smile, demanding her to be strong. She walked silently, her eyes looking downcast and body language telling anyone who would look towards her that she wanted to be left alone, she was not to be messed with. She had learnt alot from her mother, not wanting to show weakness was one of those things. Not wanting to show the comms team any weakness, she hadn't allowed herself to think of the true implications of having no contact with the team on their mission. Whilst she was still in the comms room, she had remained calm just like a soldier, a warrior. But now that she was away from the comms unit's scrutiny, she couldn't hide from the fear that creeped into her veins and in her heart. The fear of losing her chosen mate, her love, Cade.

The sound of soft footsteps outside in the corridor brought Sara back out of her thoughts. Her son had moved inside her, which had prompted her to think of his father. As the door to her computer room opened, she spun on her chair to see who it was. She hadn't needed to though because she would've recognised that scent anywhere. The flowery scent mixed with the alpha mark. Zeva grabbed a chair and sat in it facing her. She was awfully silent. It reminded Sara of the time she had first seen Zeva. The female had been sat beside Max in the conference room at a meeting, staring blankly and mutely at nothing in particular. 'Hey, Zeva. Are you okay?' She reached forward and placed a hand on Zeva's forearm to which the older girl twitched. This worried Sara so much that she nearly panicked. Before she could react in any such manner however, Zeva came out of her trance-like state.

'I'm okay, Sara. How are you and my nephew?' Zeva took in a long breath. She tried her best to not crumble in front of Sara because she didn't want her pregnant friend to get worried but she couldn't hold it in any longer. 'Sara...I...them lot...' It was just too much for her. She didn't want to think of losing another loved one. She burst into tears.

Seeing Zeva in such a state, Sara's clever mind deducted that it had to be about Cade. Her friend was usually so strong. She wouldn't cry if it wasn't something serious. That could only mean one thing, the unit on the mission were in trouble or in danger. When she had computed this, her delicate nerves started their own little party and her son started moving around in her too as though he had sensed that something was not right. Trying to not think of the worst, she moved closer to Zeva. Nuzzling her cheek and wrapping her arms around the sobbing female, she started rocking them in a gentle rhythm.

After a while, Zeva quietened down and pulled away from Sara. She had felt her nephew move about when she was pressed up against Sara. And now that her head was clear enough to think straight, she felt guilty that she had placed mother and son in anxiety. 'Sara, it's not what you think.' She rushed to rectify her mistake. 'The boys are safe and nothing bad has happened or anything. I haven't really expressed my emotions since I've been cooped up with those males of comms unit so I just needed to let off some steam.' She lied. 'You know how Tile is.' She hoped she sounded convincing.

Sara felt astounded. 'Zeva, I never expected you to lie to me ever.' She made it known how sad and hurt she was by her friend as she moved away from her and didn't maintain eye-contact. She knew Zeva would understand why she was doing this. It was a display of sorrow, pride and dignity from one human to another, from one animal to another.

At her friend's words and the tone in which she said them, Zeva bit her lip in shame. She hadn't meant to make her friend feel hurt. Belatedly, she realized she shouldn't have come here. Maybe, it would've been better if Sara hadn't seen her like this. 'Sara, I have never lied to you.'

'You are lying now.' Was Sara's frank answer.

Zeva sighed. Maybe, it would be for the best to tell the truth. She couldn't get away from it anyway, not now that she had placed her friend in such a mood. 'Sara, the comms unit lost all visual contact with the guys. Dalton phoned in and said that they couldn't use any devices because the dubai security officials have become suspicious of anyone who acts different. So, they're just going to act tourist-like now. Tourists don't wear devices on them, I suppose.' She waited for Sara to start sobbing or respond in a similar way. However, she wasn't prepared for the female to focus her attention back onto her computer screen and start her manipulation of the keyboard. 'What are you doing?' She queried, rather surprised.

Sara didn't look away from her task. 'We need to get into the visual control network of dubai to get live visual feeds. We're bound to see the males if we watch all the feeds. They will pass cameras as they move around the city.' She explained, calmly despite the storm that was brewing inside her.

'That's what I told Stiz to do before I came here. The comms team panicked and they didn't know what to do. I guess they underestimate females but they shouldn't we are way better at everything.' Zeva felt relieved. She wasn't the only one who had thought of the city cameras network. Things would be okay now. There would be no more problems. Within minutes, she would see her pack and family members are safe and then her heart wouldn't beat so fast. But, she was wrong on all counts, thinking such thoughts.

**_DADADADA DADADADA DADADADA DADADADA DADADADA DADADADA_**

**A/N; Sorry for the neglect, and late update... it's nearing end and i think i am suffering i don't want this to end hence me putting writing off.**

**Question ; do you guys want a chapter (nxt ch) to show the actual mission as in boys p-o-v or are you happy without it? it's just initially i wasn't thinking of writing their viewpoint but now i feel maybe i should.  
**


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44 -

Within an hour, Sara had hacked into the main-frame of the security network of dubai city. Navigating the various firewalls and breaking the password keys, she felt exhausted but the quiet presence stood behind her encouraged her to not give into her need for rest. After she was sure she wouldn't lose her link to the network and made sure her hack couldn't be traced, she turned to her friend and smiled. 'Zeva, we're in. Can you please bring those four computer monitors here and plug them in?' Receiving a slight nod from the older female, she went back to setting up her computer as the main control frame for the feeds. She hooked the other monitors into her computer so that time would be saved by watching multiple live and recorded feeds at the same time.

Zeva was so happy. She felt a sense of hope and relief overcome her as she looked at the various different virtual feeds. Surely, it was only a matter of time before she saw her family. She smiled as she leaned forward and traced a figure with her finger, in awe. 'Sara, I think I should go and check if the comms unit managed to get into the security network. I'll be back in a few minutes. Okay?' Getting a dazzling smile from Sara and a nod, she gave her a quick hug before making her way to the door and out of the room.

Zeva couldn't help the skip in her steps and her increased heartbeat as she went to see what was happening with the comms unit. She opened the door to the room, where the comms unit were working for the mission, with an air of confidence and pride. Sashaying along, she didn't take notice of the males looking her way as she headed straight to Stiz. 'Stiz, did you manage to hack into their security network yet?' She asked, smirking. She could tell that the comms unit was still working on breaking the firewalls. They had no live feeds or any data showing on their monitors other than the programming language and command scripts. Trying hard to pretend she wasn't bothered by Tile's glare which her instincts could feel despite the fact that she had yet to grace him with a glance, she sat herself down on the table, facing the red-headed programmer. 'Stiz, I've just been looking at the feeds. You still have five major walls to break if memory serves me right.'

'What? How...how do you know? Can you hack into this?' The geek's eyes bugged out in disbelief. 'I mean how can you?'

Zeva wasn't amused by his reaction. He seemed to sound as if it would be a miracle if she did know how to hack into the system. She hated someone implying she wasn't intelligent enough for something. She took on a defensive look. 'Stiz, chill. I don't need you asking me this shit right now and no I can't hack. But, I do know someone who can and she already has hacked into the control network of Dubai. She's currently watching feeds as we speak and I am about to go join her. I only came to get my stuff and check out how you're getting on.' Zeva made a show of gathering her stuff and placing it in a bag before reaching for Tile's un-touched coffee and taking a sip. Hearing him growl in apparent anger, she grinned at him widely. 'Right, I should get going. You don't mind me taking your coffee, do you? I would offer you guys help because I know she'd do it if I asked her but I'm sure you males would never need a kid's help. And, Tile I am a kid, aren't I?' She levelled a mocking look at the males before turning to leave.

'Wait.' Stiz pleaded, spinning around in his chair. Glancing at his CO for a mere second, he looked down and then he trained his eyes on the stubborn child of the Alpha male. He couldn't help but smile as the thought that she was a lot like her mother occurred to him.

Zeva huffed and looked back at Stiz in apparent annoyance. 'What?' Receiving no answer but silence, she glared at all the males in turn. 'Stop wasting my time.' She let out a sigh. Maybe, she shouldn't've told them about hacking into the system.

Stiz silently got out of his chair and walked over to her. Immediately, Zeva let out a low threatening growl. Yes, she was aware of being surrounded by alphas but like hell she was going to be intimidated by them. She was the eldest daughter of the Alpha and that status commanded fearlessness. However, she didn't have to glare at the male for long because as he came to stand before her, he bowed his head. The action of the older male rendered her speechless and the uneasy feeling she had been feeling was replaced by pure shock. He wasn't supposed to do that. She didn't know all the ranking rules but she knew this much. She wasn't of higher rank than him or more alpha than him. After the initial shock, she felt confusion. And, she wasn't alone judging by the looks on the faces of the other males. From the corner of her eye, she saw Tile coming out of his trance and looking around awkwardly.

'Stiz, what are you doing?' Tile barked in askance.

Stiz didn't pay his CO a glance, keeping his pleading eyes trained on Zeva. 'Tile, we need help. If there is someone who can hack into the system then I need that person here.'

Tile pointed at the computers. 'You're telling me you can't do it?' He couldn't believe what he was listening to. This was bullshit. He thought Stiz was the best hacker in the nation and now the male himself was admitting that he needed help. Trust Alec to give him a weakling to look after.

'I can hack it but it'll take so much time. Time that we don't really have. I can't not ask for help when I know the job can be done faster. We should just all be grateful to Zeva for coming here to let us know about her friend who can hack into the system.' The geek shrugged, trying to explain his logic.

After a long moment of complete silence that could have cut the air like a knife going through butter, Tile surrendered. 'Fine.' He gave Zeva an annoyed look. 'Zeva, can you please bring your friend here to help Stiz?' It was obvious by the tone of his request that he would have rather been asking someone to kill him or asking the devil to take him to hell.

Zeva smiled. 'Yeah, I'll bring her. But, I have to warn you that if any male looks or treats her in a threatening manner I won't hesitate to put a bullet in their skull.' Smirking, she motioned at the colt Cade had given her for safe-keeping whilst he was gone. Before leaving, she scrunched up her nose and levelled an intense look at Tile. 'This place reeks of testosterone so open the windows and when I come back I don't want you dumping anymore so control it and chill.'

When Zeva got back to Sara, her friend was still watching live and recorded feeds. She couldn't help but notice, how tired and disheveled she looked. Making a mental note of taking her home straight after helping the comms unit, she cleared her throat to make herself known.

Nearly falling out of her chair, Sara sat upright. 'Oh hey.' The sudden sound of her friend behind her had startled her.

Zeva placed her hands on her friend's shoulders to calm her. 'Did I scare you? I'm so sorry.' Getting a nod as an answer, she hugged her cute little friend. 'Have you seen the boys yet?' She asked, hopefully. But her hopes were dashed when she received a shake of head, complete with a sad look from the younger female. 'Okay. Sara, I don't know how to say this but...' She blushed in embarrassment and shame. Already Sara had done so much for her. How could she possibly ask for another favour.

Sara saw the hesitance and shame in her friend's eyes which prompted her to ask. 'What is it?'

Zeva felt so bad for asking Sara for another favour. It seemed that's all she'd been doing for the past few weeks now. And, it wasn't fair on Sara. Not when the younger female was already under so much stress of work and personal life. But, she had no choice as well so she swallowed the guilt she was feeling and masked her pain. 'I need a favour again.' She forced a smile, rolling her eyes to show her regret. 'I am so sorry about this. I know I keep asking you to do things for me.' She said, apologetically.

Sara shook her head. 'Don't worry about it. What are friends for anyway.' She grinned at Zeva. 'What do you need doing?' She stretched out in her chair like a cat. She felt wiped out. She had been at Command all day. She could feel her baby getting restless inside her from the lack of his dad's scent around him. She was well aware that she needed to get back to Ryan's room soon so she could rub his scent on her to calm her own and her son's nerves. When she noticed Zeva watching her with a guilty, hesitant look in her eyes, she quickly straightened up. 'Are you going to tell me or what?'

Zeva sighed dramatically. 'You know I've been to see if the guys have hacked into the system and they haven't. When I mentioned your skills and that you're already in, Stiz, their hacker, asked if I could ask for your help. If you don't mind then can you help Stiz hack into the system? I kinda told him you'd be happy to help. I am really sorry...' She was cut off by Sara, who held her hand out to stop her.

'It's okay, seriously. Let me just hibernate everything so nothing shuts down automatically. Otherwise, I might not be able to establish a link later and the feeds won't get recorded.' She said this as she started to put her machines to sleep. Checking everything for the last time and giving the room a sweep with her eyes, she got up and grabbed her bag. She was glad she never needed to carry notepads because of her eidetic memory. It would have been a headache to carry extra weight all the time as she would've needed multiple notebooks to get in all the information she dealt with on a regular basis. 'Let's go.'

The girls didn't receive a warm welcome from the comms unit at all. The only male who seemed happy to see them was the computer hacker, Stiz. And, he was also subdued in his mannerism rather than his usual overly-enthusiastic self. It seemed the male had been warned by Tile, to not get too friendly. Subconsciously, Zeva moved closer to Sara as she led the agitated female to where Stiz stood next to his work-station. She glared at the alphas in the room before checking if her conditions had been met. She couldn't deny the surprise she felt when her eyes fell on the open windows. Smiling inwardly at her little victory, she sniffed the air and concluded that it reeked less of testosterone than before. Good, if she and the males were gonna put her friend through all this headache despite the girl's tiredness, then the least she could do was make sure that the males help to make her friend's time here as comfortable as possible.

'Guys, this is Sara. Possibly the best hacker in the world and my best friend. So, I want you guys to make sure she doesn't feel uncomfortable whilst she is here.' She smiled at Sara, hugging her by pulling her into her side. She felt her relax a little. 'Sara, this here is Stiz.' She pointed at the red-headed, goggled nerd. 'And those are the rest of the team.' She added in a dismissive tone.

Tile snorted, furious that his rank was being ignored in such a rude manner by kids. Adding to the insult was the fact that they were female kids. However, this wasn't his biggest problem. That Zeva kid needed a talk from him. Her attitude was grating on his last nerves. 'Zeva, I need to talk with you urgently. Stiz, can you please let Sara do what she needs to do to help you. And, help her in any way she needs. We will just be outside.' He motioned to his team to get to work and tried to smile at the new arrival. 'Zeva, follow me please.' He couldn't help but bark the order out at the not-so-new arrival.

'I can't leave Sara alone.' Zeva's eyes widened. How could he think of such a thing?

Well, surprise surprise. As if he didn't expect her to refuse his direct order. 'My males know how to treat a strange female kid. She has the alpha mark so she'll be okay. We'll just be out in the hall.' He could practically see the stubborn girl's head churning conflicted thoughts. 'Come on.' He beckoned to her as he opened the door for them to leave the room. Gritting her teeth and blazing fire at him with her eyes, she finally walked through the doorway ahead of him.

Abruptly, she turned around. 'What? Can you hurry with your hissy fit cause I wanna get back to my friend.' She demanded in a hard tone as she tapped her foot on the floor to show her impatience and hands fisted by her side to show her anger.

Tile was taken aback to see her expression. He could honestly say that he had never seen someone's eyes turn so icy, cold so fast when they had been blazing fire a moment earlier. 'Zeva, you do know that your friend is pregnant?' Taking a page out of other male alpha fathers' book, he tried to sound serious and soft simultaneously. It didn't really work for him though.

'You think my friend keeps secrets from me or I'm dumb or something?' She was clearly furious at his query.

Tile blanched. 'I guess you are aware.' He muttered, rather irritated by the tone she took when talking to him. 'In that case, I just wanted to let you know that she looks very tired. As soon as she is finished here, take her home because I don't want or need Alec giving me a hard time. If word gets back to him that I let a tired, pregnant female kid work for me, he'll go crazy.' He made sure that the alpha kid knew that he wasn't saying this out of the goodness of his heart. Truth was, he didn't need any more problems than he already had with the dumb fucks he had in his comms unit. Adding a pregnant female to his unit was the last thing he would want to ever do, under any circumstances. It just went against everything he stood for. 'Right, let's get back.'

When Tile and Zeva stepped back in the room, Stiz excitedly jumped in front of them. 'This kid is a true genius. She's nearly in, Tile.' He exclaimed, his energy back full force. Zeva smiled knowingly and Tile just shrugged in his usual bad-tempered way.

'I'm in.' Sara announced and turned to look at Zeva. Her friend was gazing at her with so much pride and love that it literally took her breath away. Her parents used to look at her in the same way, full of pride and love, before she had become responsible for another life. She had missed that look so much since everyone had found out that she was gonna have a baby. Having her angel of a sister gracing her with the same look made the animal in her and the human in her feel that she was truly in the presence of kin.

'Great. Stiz, I am sure you can take it from here.' Tile commanded, raising an eyebrow pointedly. 'Thank you for all your help. You may leave now.' He added, looking intensely at the female kids. Silently daring them to challenge his command. His instinct told him that Zeva wouldn't question him where Sara's well-being was concerned. He was right.

Zeva grabbed hold of Sara hand and guided her to her feet. 'The commander is right, for a change. We should leave now.'

'But...' Sara started to protest.

'No, buts. Our work here is done. We need to head home.' Zeva said, decisively. What she meant by this was Sara needed to head home. She, herself, had no plans to abandon her search for the boys yet. She would drop Sara at home and then come back to watch the feeds with the comms unit. But, she didn't have to tell anyone about her true plans. She didn't think Tile would be too happy if he knew that he would be receiving another visit from her very soon.

**A/N; i can't apologize enough for the neglect...i am truly sorry but thanx to Maxie69 who forced me to get my act 2gether and post this...as i said only a couple more chapters because i broke this chapter down in my head...i will start writing nxt chp 2morrow and hopefully update sooner this time...but i need you guys to kick me in the back-side for being so neglectful like this... i hope this is good enuf, i am not that happy with it...i think my writing has gone worse or something...i seem to have forgotten how to write beautifully...pls review as my writing future depends on it;)**


	45. Chapter 45

**A/N; Please re-read the last chapter (ending if not all) if you don't remember what happened, otherwise you might get confused about the timeline... I know this update took longer than I promised but you guys know I try my best to make it as perfect as possible... Anyways, I have made up for the lateness by posting this ultra-long penultimate chapter...Yes, you read right, next chapter will be last (even if it kills me) and I shall hold hostage the last chapter unless I get a lot of reviews (joke)... Right, enough of my rant and on with the world of Deania...XXX**

Chapter 45 -

After walking Sara to Ryan's home, Zeva went home to spend some time with her family as it was nearing dinner time anyway. As she played with her sisters before dinner, she tried to take her mind off of Cade and the mission but it was impossible. At home she felt his absence more than she had felt it anywhere else. Every little thing reminded her of him. And, thoughts of him led her to feel the worry she was trying to hide from everyone. She couldn't stop thinking about the virtual feeds that Stiz would surely be watching whilst she wasn't there. Her heart and her instincts just couldn't accept not knowing if the boys' whereabouts had been found and what the guys of the comms unit were doing to establish links.

'Zeva, baby, you look like you have something on your mind. What's up?' Her Mom asked her, giving her a concerned look which brought Zeva's mind back to the living room, back to her surroundings.

For a moment, she debated internally whether she should tell her mother, the nation's leader nonetheless, about the communications situation regarding the mission. Her instincts told her not to but her heart, the scared part of her, wanted to confess everything to her pack so they could make it all better for her. In the end, she followed her instincts. 'Nothing, Mommy. I'm just a little hungry that's all.' She plastered her best fake smile on her face and hoped it looked convincing. Just to make her lie more convincing, she rubbed her stomach and then turned her head towards the kitchen to ask her Dad, 'When's dinner gonna be made? I'm starving.'

Her Daddy just gave her a smile and shook his head, going back to mixing some ingredients. She had a feeling that her parents, especially her Daddy, knew that she was using hunger as an excuse to change the subject. It was evident in the way her Daddy hadn't bothered answering her. Usually when she asked him about dinner, he would tell her to eat something else if she was hungry or he would say that it wouldn't take long so she should wait.

Sighing, she looked at her sisters arguing over the videogame they were playing. It was one of their favourites, Kingdom Hearts. Cade had bought it for them as he had recently decided that he needed to train them in the art of gaming from an early age if they were ever to be his worthy opponents. She smiled subconsciously as she remembered him trying to teach her how to play videogames.

She sat back on the couch in a more comfortable position, practically sprawled on one side of the couch. Exhaustion was creeping into her bones, making her feel light-headed. It was so comfy and safe on the couch. She rested her head on a cushion and closed her eyes, thinking she might give her mind a break for a bit from all the feelings and thoughts. Next thing she knew, Mila was giggling as Lima was poking her ear. 'Ow...' She sat up on the couch that somehow she had managed to fall asleep on. 'Lima...' She whined angrily and sat up straight, glaring daggers at her sister as she got ready to chew her out. However, her plan remained just that because she was interrupted by her parents calling them all for dinner.

She ate dinner only half-listening to her sisters and Dad talking. Too busy thinking about the virtual feeds and Cade to pay full attention to the conversation at the dining table, she didn't realize it when Lima asked her about it. Seeing her little sister looking at her with a questioning look as though she was waiting for an answer, she cleared her throat and hastily asked. 'What?'

'I said, Have you seen Cade on the tracking stuff?' The clever kid asked again, giving her an impatient look.

'Oh. No. I didn't get a chance. The Commander in the team doesn't let me near the stuff. He thinks I will probably take over his team. He's scared of me.' She quickly replied, tripping over her words in her rush to not make anyone suspicious. Seeing her family buy her lie, she visibly relaxed and wiggled her eyebrows at her sisters, much to their amusement.

Mila clapped her hands together gleefully. 'He probably thinks you can beat him up. Everyone's always scared of Mommy. Maybe, they think you are like her and so they are scared of you too.' The happy girl explained her theory on the matter, trying her best to sound logical.

'Don't be so stupid, Mila.' Lima huffed out, disapprovingly. 'He's scared because she is of the alpha pack. Isn't that right, Daddy?' The eight year old gloated when her Daddy nodded to agree with her.

'Don't be mean, Lima.' Zeva gave her little sister a warning glance, to which the smart-ass looked down apologetically. Recently, she had realized that her sisters looked up to her and they also listened to her with respect. So, she had started to use the privileges of being a big sister to make them behave. These privileges included, telling them off when needed, like any big sister had the right to do. 'Anyway, I wanted to tell you all that I have decided to stay at Command until Cade comes back.' After taking a few moments to fight the conflicting thoughts that were running through her head, she blurted out the thing she had been trying to find the courage to say.

Initially, she had planned to sneak out at night to check on the virtual feeds whilst everyone was asleep but she knew someone would find out sooner or later. In the past, things had gone wrong when she hid something. Remembering all those instances, she decided it was best to come clean rather than pussyfoot around. The truth was that she wanted to be watching the feeds as much as possible and she couldn't do that if she had to worry about getting caught every time she went to watch them.

'But, baby, why do you need to stay there? You can go and check out what the comms unit is doing when you're working. You don't need to stay there. Cade is not home. I don't want you gone too.' Her Mom looked crestfallen. She almost changed her mind at the look her Mom was giving her but she hardened herself and shook her head.

'Mommy, I'm not going anywhere far. I'm still gonna be here. It's just for a few days.' She felt sad like the rest of her family but she also felt she had no choice in the matter. It was something she just had to do. There were no ifs and buts about it.

The next half an hour was spent with her parents trying to change her mind. Nevertheless, she was determined to get her way so she requested to be given the choice to make the decision herself as she argued she was old enough to make her own decisions. Eventually, they gave up when they realized she had made her mind up and she wasn't going to change it. It was harder to convince her sisters that she needed to be at Command. The girls put up an impressive fight, saying they were already missing Cade, they didn't want their sister to leave them too. However, they agreed to let her go when she promised to come home to see them everyday.

Stashing some clothes in a bag, she hugged her family and exchanged scents with them in turn before blurring back all the way to Command. As she approached the building, she involuntarily shivered. Her animal side became hyper-sensitive to all the information her senses were receiving, making her instinctually more aware of her surroundings. The Command building was dark and silent as it was supposed to be at this time in the night. It was mostly deserted as only some transgenics, who had some special work regarding Deania's security, were present. She walked into the entrance and was immediately stopped.

A very tall bat-like male bent down to level his eyes with hers. 'Kid, what are you doing here so late?' He inquired, scratching his rough chin.

'Oh, I...erm...I need to do some work.' She nervously answered, not knowing what else to say. She had no idea of the nightly protocols of the command building or any of the nation's other government buildings.

'What work can you possibly have?' He narrowed his red eyes and gave her an amused look as she tried to think of a response. He couldn't say he didn't enjoy his job. Most of the time, he wasn't even needed to do anything as he hardly ever had anyone wandering into the area at night. The rare cases where he had had to do something had been when someone turned up drunk on Mole's beer or turned up without any valid reason. This was such an instance, it seemed. The kid seemed to have no valid reason. Her lack of response was telling in itself, if the nervous fidgeting hadn't been a clue.

In the end, Zeva opted to tell the truth to the nosy transgenic. 'I'm just gonna stay here so I can keep an eye on the mission status of the guys.' She knew he would understand what mission she was talking about. She didn't need to elaborate.

The male straightened up to his full length and trained his demonic red eyes ahead, not looking at her. 'You are aware that only transgenics working for the security department or special missions have the clearance to remain in the building at all times, at this hour?' When she shook her head, he added. 'I can't let you stay in the building on my watch as you work for neither. I am sorry your trip has gone wasted.'

'Mommy and Daddy know that I will be staying here for a few days. They said I could if I wanted to. And anyway I belong to the alpha family so you can't stop me doing anything.' She pointed out to him, to which he opened his mouth as if to say something but she beat him to it. 'You have no say in this matter. Please, go back to your duties and leave me alone.' She insisted. She tried to act like the alpha she was but at the moment she wasn't feeling like one. Belatedly, she realized that she should've accepted her Daddy's offer of walking her to the building and helping her settle in. If she had listened to him then no strange male would've hassled her.

After a moment of staring angrily at her, the red-eyed male backed away and let her through to the main part of the building. She smiled, feeling happy and relieved that mentioning her family had worked. Waving at the annoyed male guarding the entrance, she rushed to the elevator and hit the button for the top-most floor. The dormitories were located there. She knew this because of her mother had shown her the building blueprints a few days ago when she had complained that she still didn't know her way around.

Arriving at the dormitories, she read the sign map stuck on the wall in front of the elevator. According to the sign, there were personal quarters reserved for the alpha family on the left side of the hall marked by a X sign. She headed straight to the marked rooms and moved around a few beds, trying to find some familiar scent in the air. Catching a strong whiff of her parents scents from a double bed, she chose the single bed next to it.

Dropping her bag beside the bed, she lay back on the bed and shut her eyes for a minute. She knew that she needed to stop thinking so much and she needed to keep it together in her head. Sitting up, she grabbed hold of her bag and opened it. She pulled out one of Cade's sweatshirts she had brought with her and wore it over her top. Having his scent close to her made her feel better although it failed to calm her jitters. Her need, to see him and to hear him, intensified. So, she quickly made her way to the mission control room.

On the way to the room, she made a detour to the kitchen adjoining the recreational/common room. She really needed a drink to calm herself and to keep herself busy. Busier than she was busy thinking. 'Hey guys. Any news?' She said as she walked into the room, with a steaming cup of coffee in her hand and a confident grin gracing her face. It was all for show. If she wanted to stay in the room, she had to give off her alpha image.

'You're back?' Tile yelled at her in annoyance. The commander looked ready to punch her. He might have done so if he wasn't so worried about the reaction of his employers, the nation's leaders, or if he wasn't against hitting females and kids. He was. It was such a shame.

The atmosphere turned hostile. Tile's reaction pissed Zeva off to no end. Who the hell did he think he was, acting as though he could command her. In her anger, she cheekily replied. 'Yeah, did you miss me?' She gave him a devilish smirk when he widened his eyes in surprise at her impudence.

'What are you doing here?' Getting over his shock of her attitude, Tile demanded an explanation from her in a gruff tone.

She didn't want the communications unit males to know that she was planning on being a permanent occupant in their room. But, she couldn't think of a way to hide the fact either. 'I came to see if you have seen the guys on the cameras. Anyway, I will be staying here until the mission concludes. Mommy said I could if I wanted to.' She bit her lip, feeling nervous as she broke the news to the team.

Waiting for the reactions of the males, she didn't feel so brave anymore. She was sure the CO of comms hated her enough that he would throw her out of the room at her confession. But, nothing like she was thinking or anticipating happened. Instead of throwing her out, Tile gave her a disapproving look as he shook his head in resignation. Then, he went back to working on his laptop, completely ignoring her presence. Seeing the reaction or the lack of reaction from their commander, the other three males went back to their own works without paying any attention to her.

A big part of her actually felt disappointed that she was being so blatantly ignored. She had been gearing up for a verbal argument with the team. Now, she felt frustrated as she felt the need to express all she had thought about but she had no outlet for the release. Another thing was that the alpha in her wanted the others to acknowledge her presence and interact with her.

Deciding that if the males were going to dismiss her then she would return the gesture, she marched over to the computer monitors. Grabbing a comfortable chair, she planted it in front of the screens and sat down. She grabbed a remote control, which she knew wirelessly controlled the monitors, and opened the 'not-viewed files' folder. Skimming through the dates of files, she picked a file which had been recorded the day before and played it with a silent prayer that she would get lucky enough to see a certain someone. She sighed softly. It already felt so hard, to watch and not see. It was going to be a long week.

'I've found them.' Stiz barked out, jumping up from his chair and then as quickly sitting back down in it to contain his excitement at his triumph. He gave Zeva his most sympathetic and apologetic look because he realized his outburst had caused her to hit her head on the desk she had been dozing on.

Two days had passed since the night Zeva had told the comms unit that she would be staying at Command until the mission was over. They had not been able to find any footage of the males in dubai since the time they had started the search. This morning would not have been any different had Tile not talked with Dalton about their method of trying to track the other unit's movements. Dalton had promised to get in front of some cameras in inconspicuous places.

'The visual feed is from a security camera in the city's port. They seem to be in the right place for a vessel. The port is teeming with ships at the size we need. Just check out that background.' Ktan, the main audio and media devices manager, said in awe. He was sat next to Stiz so he had swung his spinning chair closer to Stiz's monitors when the red-headed geek had exclaimed his discovery.

Zeva got up, nearly falling in her rush. Restraining herself from running or blurring, she calmly walked over to the other side of the room. She came to stand behind Stiz and Ktan's chairs, looking at the monitors which were all hooked up together on the work table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other geeky unit member and their commander come to stand beside her. Not too close but close enough to her to make the hair on the back of her neck stand in tension and awareness.

Involuntarily, her heart skipped a beat when her eyes fell on the group of people Stiz was pointing to. Among the group of about a dozen people, there was also the mission's alpha unit. Immediately, her gaze was drawn to Cade who was chatting away with someone. Zeva gritted her teeth. Why the hell was he talking to a female ordinary? She couldn't believe this. He was on a dangerous mission, yet he still found time to flirt with any willing female. Suddenly, feelings of anger and hurt consumed her. How could he do this to her?

Tile heard an angry growl and turned his head to see the source of the annoying disturbance. His narrowed gaze met the sight of a very furious and red-faced Zeva. The kid looked like she was going to kill someone. He was quite surprised to find himself feeling scared by the deadly glint in her eyes. Not that he would ever admit this to anyone. Looking back at the monitor showing the alpha team, to see what had garnered such a reaction from the usually calm and cold female, he was surprised to see Cade flirting with an ordinary female. The feelings of surprise weren't because he didn't think the alpha male could flirt with someone on a mission but rather because the need to flirt had risen. It was evident he was doing it for some information, judging by the way he seemed unhappy as he interacted with the busty female.

A smirk broke out on Tile's ugly features when he realised that the female who had forced her presence on his team was jealous because she couldn't read the alpha male's body language. He couldn't help but feel amused. He was aware of the fact that Cade had claimed Zeva as his chosen mate. All the males in Deania knew about it. The kid had fought for her in front of many witnesses. It seemed the female harboured strong feelings for the alpha too. All of a sudden, the reason why the female kid had been adamant on spending her time with his unit became clear to him. Strangely, knowing and understanding the reason made it hard for him to stay mad at her. Instead, he felt admiration and respect bubble inside him and wash away the negative feelings he had felt towards her.

After a further three days of following the eight alpha males on cctv, the comms team received the welcome news that the team were in Kuwaiti waters and their comms gear was online and active. So, all their devices were hooked up with the unit back home again. This didn't mean that any of them could talk whenever they wanted, to whomever they wanted. The only two doing all the talking on both ends were Tile and Dalton. And, Dalton had decided that it would be best to keep the comms channels open but to maintain radio silence unless there was some kind of important information on either end. The alpha team were going to meet the kuwaiti dealer in the evening of the same day and then set off for home shore as soon as all the cargo was on board.

Looking over at the time on the massive oak-wood clock, Zeva let out an impatient groan. The wait of the all-important meeting was grating on her nerves. She involuntary scratched her head as the feelings of weariness overcame her. When she heard a low chuckle, she focused her attention back to the occupants of the room to determine who had had the guts to mock her misery. There wasn't just one culprit. It seemed that all males were watching her with their intrusive eyes, making her want to leave their presence. Getting out of her chair, she grabbed her jacket and rushed out of there before she let them know how pissed off she was about their scrutiny and about everything in general.

Zeva decided it would be best if she didn't go back to the comms control room until the pre-determined meeting in the evening. Without a doubt, she was going to listen in when the team met the oil dealers. Even if Tile tried to kick her out of the control room.

Walking along in the hallway leading to Sara's computer rooms, she abruptly stopped when her thoughts turned to her family. She had hardly seen them for days. Only seeing them when she went for her daily visits. Daily short visits. The reason she hadn't had much of a chance for longer visits was that she had been spending a lot of time with Sara. Whenever the male company became too much, she found herself going to her friend to calm herself. Her pregnant friend had a lot of anxiety attacks over the week as the worry of the father of her son was getting to her. So, she had found herself acting as the calm presence and the stress reducer in Sara's life. But, this hadn't helped herself any because she felt no comfort or reassurance watching her friend's distress.

Not being with her pack had made Zeva appreciate them more. She had missed her family so much these past days that she had hardly slept, twisting and turning in her bed whilst clutching the pillow, that had her parents scent on, to her chest. Of course, it was already hard to sleep because she didn't have Cade to hold her but not being at home had made it impossible. The separation from her pack had made her realise how lucky she was to have them as her pack, her family. She missed their scent and their comfort.

So strong was her need to be with her family that she decided to go home instead of going to her friend's work-space. Heading towards the main doors of the command building, she paused near the door of the recreational area and peeked in. There was no-one there, which was a clue in itself as to how busy everyone was of late.

She walked home, taking in the breeze of the ocean and listening to the chirping of the birds and insects that lived in the forest nearby. Her mind felt so clear and it was in moments like these when her feelings made themselves known. Suddenly, she was reminded of her love. It wasn't like she had forgotten him but since watching him quiet happily mingling, she had tried her best to not think about it much. However, she found that thoughts of Cade flirting with other females were now always present in her mind. All she needed was some free time for them to come to surface to haunt her. The more time passed, the worser the pain and anger of the scene she had witnessed was. She couldn't get over it. Constantly, an inner battle raged in her head. It had only been a flirtation, yet she felt cheated. Knowing that he might have been doing it just to pass his time and had not meant anything by it, didn't make it hurt any less. She never flirted with any males if she had nothing else to do so why should he think he could. The truth was she would never flirt with anyone else because she was his. And, as far as she was concerned he had no right to flirt with anyone other than her because he was hers.

Before she could notice, she was already opening the door to her home. Pulling off her jacket, she placed it on the back of the couch and looked around. That's when Lima came barreling towards her.

'Mommy, Mila, Zeva is here.' Lima shouted, enveloping Zeva in her arms. 'I missed you so much.' The adorable child pulled away, only to hold her big sister's hand and guide her to her own bedroom she shared with Mila.

A moment later, Zeva was tackled on a bed by her other sister. Getting all the hugs and kisses from all the females of her pack, she knew she made the right decision to come home to seek comfort. Now, all she needed was her Daddy to come home and she could feel safe and sure. He always made her feel alright, just like her old daddy.

Zeva stayed home until she had to go back to command for the meeting between the alphas and the Kuwaiti dealer. When she got back to the control room, she wasn't exactly welcomed with happiness but the comms team including Tile, their CO, tolerated her silent presence. Whilst the meeting was taking place, there had been times when she had wanted to say something but she kept quiet. After Dalton confirmed that the alphas were all on board their vessel with the cargo secure in place, he had allowed the team to talk freely amongst each other.

She had wanted to talk to Cade but she couldn't bring herself to. Her pride wouldn't let her. Hearing his voice had been enough as he had talked with Stiz. She was aware that the comms team were expecting her to want to talk to her family. In actual fact, Tile had given her an intense questioning look when Dalton had first given the go-ahead, no doubt silently asking why she wouldn't talk to her pack member. Ignoring all the males in the room and their silent questions, she went to look for Sara in case she was still working.

Sara was working late again. 'Hey, S. you okay?' Zeva asked her, coming to stand beside her. Receiving a nod, she broke the news she had come to tell her. 'The guys are on board their vessel and now they can talk to anyone they want. I came to ask if you wanted to talk to Ryan?' seeing the girl get excited, she winked knowingly at her. The excitement didn't last though.

'He probably doesn't want to talk to me.' Sara sounded utterly deflated.

'Yes, he does.' Zeva couldn't imagine Ryan not wanting to at least ask about his son. 'You're just not giving him a chance. Anyway, Dalton was saying that they didn't estimate the travelling time properly and it's really gonna take them eleven days to get here.'

Sara was horrified. 'What? But I thought that they were only supposed to be gone for a few days. It's already been over a week.'

'As far as I am aware, Daddy gave them a fortnight to complete the mission. I suppose he didn't know that it was gonna take eleven full days to travel all those nautical miles.' Zeva shrugged.

'Have you spoken to Cade?' Sara asked, assuming her friend must've talked with the boys before coming to find her.

Zeva exhaled sharply, only just realizing that she hadn't discussed Cade's flirtations with her friend so she had no valid reason for not talking to him. She had to think of an excuse fast. 'No, I haven't. We promised each other that we won't make it harder for each other. He doesn't really know that I have been sat in the control room all this time.' She looked away from the hazel eyes that were trained on her.

'Oh.' Was all Sara could say.

'Come on. You should talk to Ryan.' Zeva tried to deflect the intense look that her friend was giving her by bringing the conversation back to the reason she was there for.

Sara shook her head. 'Maybe it is better if we don't talk. As you said yourself, it could make it harder for us.' She smiled, sadly and started to log off her computer. 'I am tired anyway. I should go home and get some sleep. Otherwise, he'll get restless.' She stroked her stomach, lovingly.

Zeva nodded, dumbly. 'Shall I walk you home?'

'Mom is picking me in a few minutes.' Sara explained, apologetically.

Waiting with Sara for her mother in silence, Zeva thought of her predicament. A part of her didn't want to go back to the control room. How could she want to? Cade was available to talk to but she couldn't talk to him. He was so close yet so far. It broke her heart. Still, she went back. It was harder to stay away than it was to stay silent.

It wouldn't be wrong to say, she died many painful deaths over the course of the eleven days she heard him talk to Stiz or some other transgenic but was unable to do so herself. The very next day since talking freely had commenced, Ktan had been about to tell the alphas that she was present too. She had stopped him in time. Later on, she had asked the team to not mention her or else the comms team would be the butt of jokes if everyone found out some female kids helped them. She made sure it sounded like a threat. After that, there was never a time that made her heart beat madly of fear of being found out by Cade. The team kept their arrangement with her, even if it was only to save themselves from humiliation. The result was satisfactory.

On the dawn of the twentieth day, the alpha team of the Kuwaiti mission arrived home to a great surprise. Hundreds of transgenics lined the harbour despite it being such an ungodly hour.

At night, a few hours ago, Tile had told the nation's leaders and other top ranking military officials about the estimated time of arrival of the ship. Mole had spread the news to all the households because the grumpy male was in charge of organising the unloading of the oil barrels and he needed as many males as possible for the job. Most other transgenics had just woken up and come out to watch as they were a nosy nation and proudly so.

As soon as the ship' anchor was thrown and the rope was tied down, the eight alphas started to jump off. In their hurry to get to their families, the males didn't wait for any orders from their CO. not that he was going to give them any orders. Dalton was last to jump off. He quickly handed the documents and inventory to Mole, with a 'Right, now you can handle this. I'm going to bed.' thrown over his shoulder as he went to Leena, his mate. Pulling her into his side, he was gone before Mole had a chance to get a word in.

The lizard-man dismissed everything else and set about giving instructions to the males who he had summoned for the job of unloading the cargo.

Ryan and Cade, both walked together to their family as their mothers and sisters were all standing together. They exchanged a look when they realised that their lady-loves were both missing. It didn't stop them from burying themselves in their mothers and sisters' comfort-filled embraces and scents. Their sisters were very generous in their display of affection and they lapped it up. The had missed their females so much. Only having each other for comfort had been hard. Dalton staying in his soldier mode at all times hadn't helped either.

Pulling away slightly from Lyla, Ryan finally asked the one thing he was dying to know. 'Where's Sara and Zeva?'

All of a sudden, their females went quiet. Only a second ago, they had been glowing in their happiness to see them. Now, they had all gone pale and were all looking at each other in a nervous manner. Cade noticed this change as much as Ryan noticed it.

Cade couldn't help but feel fear grip him. He was already on his last legs here. He was exhausted by the lack of sleep. He didn't need any bad news. Judging by his family's lack of response, something was wrong. 'Mom, Cece...' He gave them both a pleading look.

'Sara is at home resting. She's been unwell for a few days. It's nothing to worry about. Zeva is with her. We didn't want to leave her alone in case she needed something. We've been out here for a while.' Cece bit her lower lip, waiting for her son's reaction. She was amazed to see him keep his cool. He just nodded and started walking towards home with Cade walking beside him.

Cade felt so worried about Ryan. His brother looked like he was going to collapse any minute. Not that he himself was feeling any better. At least, he hadn't been told that his love of life was ill unlike his best friend. Putting an arm around Ryan, he nuzzled his nose into his cheek to comfort him. His efforts were futile. Ryan seemed to be in a trance or shock. Only coming out of his daze, when he entered his home and headed to his room in a hurry, taking two steps at a time.

Zeva heard two sets of footsteps long before she saw the two boys. Realizing that she must've felt them rather than heard them, she got up from her seat next to Ryan's bed. 'Morning boys, did you have a nice trip?' She asked, when Ryan opened the bedroom door. It was surreal, the way Ryan and Cade just stood in the doorway with hurt eyes. Ryan's eyes were on Sara whereas Cade's green eyes were penetrating her. Then as if coming out of a trance, Ryan walked to Sara's bed-side and sat by her. Zeva felt awkward, looking at the couple as they looked at each other with so much meaning in their eyes. 'Right, I should get going.' She started to leave. Walking past Cade, she found him falling into step beside her.

As soon as they were both out of Ryan's home, Cade stopped Zeva by taking hold of her wrist. Zeva jerked her arm back from him and stood facing him with her arms folded over her chest. She was about to cuss him out, for making her worry, for flirting with someone else, for making her cry over him, and for so many other reasons but she was stopped by the desperate look on his face. It left her breathless. Giving her a pained, sad look, he pulled her in his arms and nuzzled her neck. 'Cade...' She breathed out as she felt all the tension she had coiled in her body leave her.

When Cade pulled away from Zeva, he held her face in his hand and quickly placed a chaste kiss on her lips. 'Come on, let's go home. I need to sleep. I haven't slept in ages.' Ignoring her surprised face, he linked their hands and started to walk towards home, taking her with him.

Ryan and Sara hadn't still said a word. They were both too busy staring at each other. However, the magical moment was spoiled when Ryan's stomach growled, sending them both into a fit of laughter.

'Sorry about that, my stomach hasn't been well lately. I suffered from sea sickness.' He apologised, grinning stupidly. 'How are you? Mom was saying you got ill. Is my son okay?' He reached forward and placed a hand on her covered stomach. Not feeling satisfied, he moved her top out of the way so he could touch her skin.

Sara blushed from all the attention she was getting, though it was because of her son. 'I got a fever. Salt was saying it was due to lack of sleep, stress and dehydration. I'm okay now. I just felt tired for a few days. He is doing okay. It didn't affect our son. You don't have to worry about him.' Sadness consumed her as she said this. She knew Ryan was just worried about their son. He would never care about her. Her poor heart wished otherwise though.

Ryan leaned forward and placed a kiss on Sara's exposed stomach. 'I'm more worried about you.' He admitted, looking up to meet her shocked hazel eyes. 'I missed you so much. Being away from you, I realized I was wrong in making you think that I didn't like you. I am crazily and madly in love with you somehow and I have been since I first made love to you.' By this time, Sara was crying. She tried to sit up but he gently pushed her down. Kicking his shoes off and taking his military clothes off, he trudged over to his drawer and pulled some sweatpants out. Once he had them on, he joined the mother of his son on the bed. She was still silently crying. 'Would you make me the happiest guy in the world and be my mate?' He asked the question he had been rehearsing for over a week now. When she nodded, he sunk his teeth in the crook of her neck. 'Mine.'

'Yours.' Came a small whisper but it was enough to seal the eternal bond.


	46. Chapter 46

Epilogue (6 weeks later) -

'Right, has everyone got everything they need?' Alec asked, carrying a few bags from the pile Max and their daughters had placed by the main door of their penthouse.

'Yeah.' Came the loud chorus from his pack females. He saw Max dash into the kitchen, whilst his eight years old twins skipped along to their bedroom. No doubt looking for more things to add to their already bulging bags, hoping that those things would help their home sickness. He couldn't blame them. It was always hard for their kind to be away from their own territory. But, this didn't stop him and Max taking their family on vacations sometimes when the need arose. At the moment, such a need had risen in their family. And after much deliberation, Max, Biggs, Cece and Joshua had agreed with his suggestion that a trip be taken as soon as possible to meet that specific need.

'Well, you better not remember something once we're already there. I am not driving all the way back again.' He warned in a serious tone. Turning his attention to his other two kids, he found the teenage couple giving each other shy sidelong glances. 'Cade, are you sure you'll be able to manage at Command without me and your Mom? I mean, it would've been okay if Biggs and Cece wasn't going with us. But, without all of us, are you sure you'll manage our duties?' He knew his son was more than capable of leading their nation for a week, yet he still couldn't help but ask. It was only fair if his alpha boy had some say in the matter.

Cade sighed dramatically at his father's questioning look which was directed towards him. His parents' plans to go on a holiday had come as a surprise to him because he hadn't thought they would be too keen to leave the nation any time soon. His parents were always extra-cautious when it came to the security of the Alpha family. Although the supposed war that the American president had been planning was unlikely for the next few decades at the least, still it wasn't all that safe around the world right now. Well, that was his opinion anyway.

Considering all these things, he was quite puzzled why the elders of his family had decided to spend a week camping in the Blue Mountains in Sydney. And if that wasn't strange enough, they had all insisted that Zeva couldn't go because she had to stay for Sara's sake. He knew this was just an excuse as Sara didn't need anyone to look after her anymore. Since Ryan had mated Sara over a month ago, they were hardly ever apart. Which meant his parents' reasons for leaving Zeva home were different from what they said. Being aware of this little fact confused him to no end. Why would they use Sara as an excuse and why had the elders acted all weird when he had tried to get them to take Zeva on her first holiday? He had been determined to find out. He had tried to get this information from each of the family members but to no avail. He wished he knew their motives. Maybe, he was over-thinking and complicating things himself. They could really just want a change of scenery and decided to leave Zeva for Sara's company.

Coming out his thoughts, he nodded at his father like the golden son that his Mom claimed he was. 'Yes, Dad. You don't have to worry about anything here. Just enjoy yourselves on your break. I won't be alone. Zeva, Ryan and Sara are all gonna be here too so I'll be okay. And, Dalton will be here by wednesday.' Cade said, moving over to the dining table to take a seat. Suddenly, he felt exhausted from all the thinking he had been doing since he found out about his parents' plans two days ago. He just wanted it to be over so he would know why they were going in the first place. He had a feeling he was going to get all his answers soon.

Alec chuckled as he saw his son resuming his thoughts. His kid was so easy for him to read. His expressive hazel-green eyes which were identical to his own and the tension in his body which was evident in his movements were a dead give-away to anyone who was well-versed in the kid's body language and expressions. 'They're here but don't expect Ryan and Sara to hang out with you because they'll be making use of the alone-time they'll get when we're gone. They're still in their honeymoon phase.' He smiled, looking at the blushing teens in front of him. He knew they weren't comfortable to hear him say such things so openly but he had to start making them realize that they were going to be very alone for the very first time. Dropping hints and mentions of mating was part of the plan.

'Looks like it's just gonna be me and Zeva then.' Cade said, eyes flitting to Zeva's tense form before moving back to meet his father's intense green gaze.

'Looks like it.' Alec agreed, cheerfully. He pointed to the remaining bags on the floor. 'Cade, come help me with these, kid.'

Without uttering a response, Cade followed his Dad, all the remaining bags in his hands. Walking behind his Dad and placing the bags in the black SUV, he was overcome with emotions. Feelings of disappointment, hurt and sadness were coursing through his body as the time of his family's departure drew near. The truth was, he wanted to go with his family too. He had missed them all so much whilst he had been on the Kuwaiti mission. Being away from them for such a long period had been hard on him to the extent that when he came back he couldn't be without them for a minute. Now, after six weeks, he still had moments when he felt panic or discomfort. In those moments, the only thing that could calm him was his mother's embrace or his father's scent. 'Dad, can't I come?' He asked in a small voice.

Alec was taken aback by this show of vulnerability from his son. He was aware of Cade's heightened need for comfort and pack scent since his mission. But, he had thought that this need would've diminished over the weeks. It seemed his son had become dependent on his pack being close to him. And, Zeva staying home with him hadn't eased his anxiety. Having Zeva around him should've been enough for Cade because she was his chosen mate as well as the female he loved. But, the two had been awkward with each other since Cade had come back. It appeared as though Zeva was angry with Cade about something that he had done and Cade didn't know how to make things better between them. 'Zeva's here. You'll be fine. I've told Mole that you will both be working from home and will only check in at Command if you feel the need.' Alec assured, trying to fight the lump that was forming in his throat. He wanted his son and daughter to go with him too but this trip was being made to give the teens some space to sort out their feelings in the first place. So, taking them with the rest of his family would defeat the purpose of the vacation.

'Dad, it's not the same. You know, she hardly talks to me.' Cade admitted, his voice coated with sadness and hurt. 'I hate love. Love hurts.' He muttered, pouting.

For a moment, Alec thought whether he should let Cade know the reason he and Zeva were being left alone. Max and Cece had warned him against it, arguing that Ryan had mated Sara when he had felt ready to do so and not when he had been told to mate. Remembering the angry, scary females of his family, he decided it wouldn't be in his best interest to bring their wrath upon himself. 'Maybe now that she won't have anyone else to talk to, she'll talk to you. Don't worry about anything. You won't even know we're gone. Everyone else is here.' Seeing the dejected look marring Cade's face, he couldn't help but reach out and pull his son in his arms. Keeping his arms wrapped tightly around the squirming Cade, he buried his face in his son's hair.

Love and warmth washed over Cade as he finally relaxed in his Dad's embrace. He couldn't remember the last time his Dad had held him like this. Most of the time their hugs were totally manly and brief in time. Feeling like this after such a long time, he realized how he had missed being so close to his Dad, his protector, his Alpha. 'You promise everything is gonna be okay?' He felt like a little kid asking this but he needed reassurance. If his Dad said everything was going to be okay, he would believe it. His Dad was always right.

'Yeah, I promise. Just be true to your feelings.' Alec patted Cade on the back before letting him go.

Within the next few minutes, the females of the alpha pack joined the males and they all piled into the SUV. Alec drove it over to Biggs and Cece's mansion, where a red Camaro was being laden with bags of various colours and sizes. Ryan looked in a hurry as he threw bags at Biggs. After getting out of their SUV, Alec and Cade came to stand beside Ryan and Biggs. The females went to join the females of Biggs' pack in the mansion.

'When are you guys setting off? It'll get dark soon. Get a move on.' Ryan yelled at his Dad.

Biggs snorted. 'Don't get yours boxers in a twist. We're going as soon as Josh gets here.' He couldn't believe his son had no qualms in showing his apparent happiness at being left alone with Sara. He had assumed that his kid would at least pretend to be a bit sad. But, who was he kidding. He had been as selfish when he had first mated with Cece. At least, the kid had seen sense sooner rather than waiting like Cade.

Once Joshua decided to grace them all with his presence, everyone started saying their goodbyes to the teenagers who were going to stay back home. Max, Cece and the girls got into the SUV and the males all got into the Camaro before driving off with a final wave.

'Finally.' Ryan threw his arms in the air and did a little victory dance. 'Right, Cade, Zeva, you guys didn't want to hang out, did you?' He ignored Sara as she elbowed him. 'You must have things to do.' He pointedly looked at Cade and tried to convey that his brother should say yes. No one was going to spoil his week of mated bliss, as far as he was concerned. To his annoyance, Sara was trying to be her polite-self as usual.

'Don't be stupid, Ryan. Of course, they will be hanging out with us. What else will they do.' She smiled at her friends who looked uncomfortable. Ryan may have forgotten their assistance in making them a happy couple but she hadn't. She was quite surprised that Ryan hadn't picked up on his brother's distress. Cade and Zeva both looked lost, sad and hurt. And, she would be damned if she didn't try to help them.

What Sara didn't know was, Ryan was acting indifferent on purpose. He had overheard his parents talking about Cade and Zeva being the reason they had all decided to go on a holiday. The method was cruel but it had a high percentage of a favorable outcome. Cade had been too sensitive and on edge since their mission. His brother needed to calm down and the only person who could truly calm him was Zeva. Even if they didn't yet know it. Being mated, he had come to know these things.

Grudgingly, Cade started to back away. 'Actually, Dad left some work for me to do so I will have to go home.' He knew Ryan wanted to be alone with his mate. It would be wrong to intrude. Ryan was so happy when he had heard about being left alone with Sara. Cade didn't have the heart to spoil his brother's happiness and fun. 'Zeva, are you coming?' He asked before he turned around in the direction of his home.

'Yeah.' Zeva smiled at the happy couple who were still watching her. 'Sara, thanks for the offer but I have some work to do. I'll see you later.' She patted the younger female's stomach, affectionately and then left.

'That was uncalled for. You shouldn't have said anything. They've been so nice to me and you were mean to them.' Sara accused Ryan as he guided her back inside their home.

Ryan sighed. 'Sara, believe me when I say I did it to help them. I know what my brother is feeling. No one knows him better than I do. This is the only way, they'll talk. I hate it when I see him hurt, it hurts me.' He pulled her in his lap as he sat down on his favourite chair.

A few hours had passed since Cade and Zeva had come back to an empty home. Currently, Cade was sat in the living room flipping through channels on the tele and Zeva was in the kitchen area making dinner. They hadn't spoken one word to each other. Choosing to remain silent as they each didn't know what to say to the other.

Zeva watched Cade from where she was stood at the counter, putting food on their plates. Bringing the plates over to the dining table, she placed hers as far away from his as possible and then went back to get the water and various sauces. She had assumed he would come to eat without her calling him as she was sure he knew she had set things on the table. He must've heard all the noise from when she was placing things on the table. She would've preferred it if he had come of his own accord. However, he hadn't moved an inch from where he was sat staring at the moving images on the screen. Exhaling sharply, she swallowed her pride for the moment and called, 'Cade, dinner's ready.' From under hooded eyes, she saw him get up slowly and switch the tele off.

Going to the kitchen to wash his hands, Cade had passed the table but had failed to notice that his plate was set on the opposite end of the table from hers. Anger and hurt consumed him when he came back and found her sitting as far away from him. Despite all his feelings about the situation and about her in general, he didn't say anything. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he sat down and started eating, his head down and attention on his food. Concentrating so hard on these tasks, he didn't realize it when she asked him something.

'So, are you going to ignore my questions now too?' Zeva was mad as all hell. How dare he? After all she had done for him in spite of his unfaithfulness.

Cade huffed in disbelief. 'Wh...what? I did not ignore you. I never have.' She was such a hypocrite. She had been ignoring his existence for ages and now she had the audacity to blame him for ignorance when he had merely missed what she had said because he hadn't expected her to speak to him any time soon. 'I just didn't realize you were talking to me now. You haven't really spoken to me before.' He trained his intense eyes on her and pushed his plate of food away from himself, losing his appetite.

Zeva was astonished to see him leave food as it was a rare occurrence. Ignoring his apparent loss of appetite, she sneered at him. 'Are you criticizing me?'

'No.' Cade couldn't for the life of him understand what had gotten into her.

'You're such an asshole.' She growled at him in frustration, wanting to punch him or something.

Cade's eyes widened at the insult. Confusion plagued him. Nevertheless, he decided enough was enough and he was going to get an answer from her whether she liked it or not. 'Zeva, I really don't know what the fuck is your problem but since I got back, you've been giving me hell. And, I'm sick of it. Why the fuck don't you just tell me what I did wrong?' He knitted his eyebrows together and waited for her response with bated breath.

Zeva looked away from his penetrating gaze, feeling vulnerable all of a sudden. Biting her bottom lip, she ran her hand through her hair as she pushed her own plate away from her with her free hand. 'I don't want anything to do with you.'

'You're fine to let me sleep with you.' He muttered, gritting his teeth.

She turned her blazing eyes on him. 'Fine. I won't let you sleep with me either. You don't care about anyone's feelings, you selfish pig. I just wanted comfort and I thought you did too.'

He looked down at his lap. 'I still do.' The scraping of the chair made him look up to find her leaving, her plate in hand. In the desperation to keep her talking to him, he began in a low voice, 'On the mission, I missed pack so much. You can't even imagine how hard it was for me. Dalton was in his soldier mode and Ryan was worse. I had no comfort and pack scent. I was so happy when we got back home. I thought everything was going to be okay but you refused to comfort me at all. My instincts still feel all over the place sometimes. I just want you to make me feel better.' He admitted, shamefully.

'You wanted comfort. Is that why you fucked an ordinary female whilst on mission or flirted with her at least? I know you like girls and you like to flirt. But, you were on a mission. How could you flirt with a girl on a mission?' She put her plate back down on the table and came to stand in front of him with her hands balled in fists by her side.

Today was a day for shocks and confusion. 'What? What are you going on about? I never fucked anyone, I swear.'

'Don't deny it. I saw you. Don't forget, I was in comms room all the time you were on mission. I don't know why I bothered.' She shouted at him.

'Where?' He demanded, standing up in anger.

'You were all at the port in Dubai.' She kept it vague. He could think for himself. She wasn't going to make this easy on him.

Remembering the incident at the port, he let out an exasperated huff. 'We needed the times/schedules of ships coming to/from the port. The only way to get this information was to flirt with the female at the desk. It was either me or Ryan that Dalton chose for the job and Ryan made me do it. If you saw all this then you know as well as I do that I only spoke to the female. Even if Dalton had asked me to fuck the female, according to my training I can't refuse an order. It goes against training but I would've refused the order nonetheless. Because I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you. Its nice to know, you don't love me enough to trust me.' He shook his head in sadness.

Zeva was gobsmacked. She felt awful for not trusting him. For judging him. And, treating him bad for something that was all made up in her own head. 'Cade...' She was cut off by Cade walking away from her. A second later, she heard his bedroom door click shut.

Silently and mournfully, she cleared up the table and the kitchen. Shutting off the lights for the night, she found a note on the coffee table. Cade had been writing a note to her whilst she was making dinner. It was a love note. Guilt and sadness brought tears to her eyes as she realized that she had screwed up. Walking past Cade's room, she smelt tears which broke her heart. He had been crying over her. She decided she wasn't going to let him sleep alone. If he wanted to yell at her he could, she would take his punishment. He wanted comfort and she'd be damned if she didn't give him what he wanted.

Knocking on the door lightly, she opened it to find him laying down on his back, fully clothed and looking up at the ceiling. Hesitantly, she entered the room and shut the door behind her. Suddenly, she felt shy and uncertain. They were alone in their home and she was now in his territory. 'Cade.' He didn't respond. In fact, he didn't even look at her. Putting aside her fear and shyness, she kicked her shoes off and crawled onto his bed. Lying down beside him, she rested her head on his heart and wrapped her arms around his waist. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't have questioned you. I do trust you.' She said, sincerely.

He was so quite. The only sound coming from him was his strong and steady heartbeat, which had quickened a moment ago. Looking up at him, her blue oceanic orbs were met by his beautiful green eyes. Time seemed to stop. The magical moment was only cut short when both had to blink out of necessity. For some odd reason, Zeva didn't feel shy or uncomfortable anymore. Instead, she felt she belonged here, in his arms. Stripped of all her fears and shyness, she leaned forward and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. 'Make love to me, Cade.' She whispered against his mouth.

'Are you sure?' He asked, breathless. He knew this was the ultimate show of trust on her behalf. Receiving a nod from her, he smiled. 'I want to do it properly.' At her confused look, he moved her hair out of the way to expose her neck and growled low in his throat. Seeing her eyes glow in acceptance, he knew she understood his meaning. He bit into her neck, drawing blood. 'Mine.'

'Yours.' She moaned and bit his shoulder.

Getting the ritual out of way, Cade turned her around so that she was under him and grinned at her. Capturing her lips in a tender kiss, he poured his soul and all his love into the kiss. He hoped that her first time would be as amazing as he had wanted it to be for her. He took his time with her, making slow passionate love to her. Telling her by his actions how much she meant to him and how happy he was to be her mate.

After hours of the best sex he had probably ever had, Cade lay awake with Zeva still wrapped in his arms. She was sleeping peacefully. He watched her with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She looked like an angel, his angel. Although it had been her first time, she had still managed to keep up with him. The connection between them had been explosive. Cade was still buzzing. He had a feeling it was more intense because of the fact that they loved each other and that they were mated. Ryan had been right, everything did feel better when done with a mate. Inwardly, he smirked at the thought that he had his mate to himself for a full week without interruption. Oblivious to the fact that his family had planned it all.

**THE END**

**A/N; Wow, it's finished. I can finally live now. The other person (the actual author) can leave in peace now. When I first started this story I seriously thought that the longest it will get to was 10/12 chapters. But boy, was I wrong? Whilst writing the first few chapters I became the slave of my muse and this story. They both took on a life of their own and used my body to wreak havoc here. So, if any of you think the ending wasn't good enough then don't blame me. I am as much a victim as you all. I would like to thank those 300+ reviews writers, and for the rest, you read all this and you couldn't be bothered to write 1 sentence of flames/praise, seriously?.**

** This story can only have this conclusion, according to me, so don't ask for any more alternatives. I wish I was any good at writing smut, but I am awful at it. I tried for this chapter but I just couldn't make it sound good. I guess I am too much of a romantic. I might do a one-shot where Ryan/Sara's baby is born (i keep thinking it would be cool to get them in a panic and all) but I am not sure yet. But, never say never right. **

**I love you all who stuck with me till the end and shared my misery and happiness. Time and Life are precious and short. Knowing that all of you spent countless hours of your precious time reading this is a beautiful gift to me and I will always be grateful for it. And, if it isn't too much bother, I'll ask everyone and I mean those non-reviewers as well (you know who you are, I sure as hell don't) to review now at least. Because, this is the ending. And, another thing I have a poll up on my profile I would love it if you guys could answer it for me...**

**Until next time, **

**XXXXXX**

**494dwangel (if you ever meet James Cameron pls mention this and you never know this might become an epic film lol, I wish)  
**


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